Roanapur's Demon
by DemonFireX
Summary: After the first Blacklight outbreak in New York, a lone Evolved goes into hiding and finds himself in the lawless city of Roanapur. Adapting quickly to the chaotic lifestyle and becoming a part of a familiar crew in the process. But when Blackwatch and Alex Mercer all come in search of him he'll have to rise up and prevent the city of walking dead from becoming a graveyard.
1. On the Run

**A/N: Hello all once again. For the last year, I've been playing with the idea for this particular crossover. After watching several episodes of Black Lagoon and getting into the series, I thought about how it would be if elements of Prototype came into play with the overall plot. And now that I've managed to come up with a good outline for it, I'm finally ready to put the first chapter out to see how it goes.**

**For starters, I'll be using the character name for my old story Project: ARES, that I'm still in the process of rewriting, for my OC. This story will be following the same guidelines as the anime and manga, and even though I enjoy watching Rock's character bumbling through the harsh streets of Roanapur, I waned to put someone in the plot that can relate to the characters on a much easier level.**

**Also, there will be elements of Prototype 2 in this story, and with how I'm able to blend this stuff together I intend on really making something out of this. So sit back, relax, and prepare for a hell of a ride.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

_It was all over...that much I knew. Something deep within the recesses of my mind told me that the Hive Mind and it's followers had fallen. Looking down from the smoldering apartment complex, I saw the infected dropping in the street where they stood. Like puppets without strings collapsing on to asphalt and concrete._

_ For whatever reason, the Infection had come to an end. It probably had something to do with that huge explosion I had seen off shore the other night. Now all that was left was to clean up the remnants and pick up the pieces of Manhattan. _

_ I looked up at the sky, It was good to look around and not see any more Blackwatch copters patrolling the area. Now that the threat of the virus was over, the military was putting all its resources into helping civilians and repairing the damage that was done. Everything seemed peaceful now despite the never ending hell that hit the city over the last 21 days._

_ But to me...the nightmare will forever continue. All because of one man. The man who started all of this, the man who was and is still considered the most wanted man in the world. _

_ The man I was going to kill within the next hour._

_ Looking down at the street 20 stories below, I leaned forward and swan dived off of the roof. The wind whipping by me as I plummeted. Closing my eyes and taking a deep breath, I remembered everyone I lost because of this infection, because of this man...no...not a man. He lost the right to be called such after everything he has done to the innocents of this city._

_ My body slammed into the pavement with the force of a speeding truck creating a large crater and shockwave that sent cars and debris flying in every which direction. I wasn't concerned. The street had been devoid of any kind of life for days. _

_ Standing from the crater without any sign of injury, I began to slowly trek down the street. Determination and fury enhancing each step. _

_ Before all of this started, I was just an average guy trying to survive day-to-day life and raising my little sister. Then everything went to hell so quickly. I lost everything I ever loved and cherished. My Humanity stripped from me, making me a freak of nature that made me sick each time I looked in the mirror. _

_ At first I was driven to survive. To make it through the hell that had literally sprouted up around me. Now I was driven by hate and vengeance. I would make him pay for what he has done, to me...to everyone._

_ After walking for several minutes I came to a stop. A the end of the street stood a lone figure, clearly a man, wearing a black leather jacket with white stripes running around the sleeves with a grey hood covering his head. A pair of piercing steel eyes leering out from the darkness._

_ He had been waiting for me._

_ "So you decided to face me after all." I said out loud. My voice bouncing off of the vacant buildings around us. The man remained unmoving. I glared, "You took everything from me...EVERYTHING! And for what? HUH! For the truth? Revenge? Justice? I hope it was worth the countless lives you've stolen over these last few weeks." I spat hatefully._

_ "Everything here, is your fault! The virus! The deaths! Blackwatch, Gentek all of it!"_

_ The figure remained motionless. I felt my fury build. My right arm became a flurry of black and red tendrils as it shifted. Muscles and flesh reconstructing itself until a large glinting blade appeared shining in the setting sunlight. "I will have my revenge. I'm taking you down once and for all!" _

_ The man's hands shifted and became long razor sharp claws. Soulless eyes leering at me from the shadow of his hood, a silent challenge reflecting in his gaze. An earth shattering war cry ripped from my throat as I charged forward at inhuman speeds, kicking up debris in my wake as I closed the distance fast. I was going to end this or die trying._

_ My name is Sean Mason...and I was going to KILL ALEX MERCER!_

X

The distant sound of gulls calling in the distance could be heard clearly in the warm air. The sun shining down on the beautiful expanse of ocean stretched out all the way to the horizon, the crystal clear waters splashing against the hull of the large ship as it cruised leisurely toward it's destination.

On the main deck leaning against a railing that overlooked the ocean was a lone man of 24. Dressed in a pair of jeans, black combat boots, and a white t-shirt beneath a black denim vest with red angel wings embroiled on the back.

Black spikey hair covered his head with a five-o'clock shadow on his face. His features were considered handsome by several of the female passengers and deck hands on the ship. Catching them blushing and winking at him when he passed by.

A pair of dark-green eyes stared out over the water, a half-smoked cigarette between his lips while his mind was elsewhere.

Sean had found himself doing that a lot lately, drifting into his thoughts and becoming lost in them. Ever since the incident in New York over six months ago he couldn't help but think about everything that had happened since then.

Even now, on this ship that was traveling across the open ocean, he felt himself falling back into his mind. Recalling the many regrets that plagued him. The never-ending nightmares he could never awaken from.

Taking a long drag on his cigarette, breathing the smoke out into the clean ocean air, he recalled the confrontation he had with his nemesis. The man that had robbed him of so much in such a short time.

The same man...that had become his creator.

X

_"Your not strong enough to kill me." said Alex Mercer looking down at Sean's broken and defeated form. "Blackwatch, Greene, The Infected, The Supreme Hunter, none of them could stop me. All of them absorbed making me more powerful than before. Hell...even a nuclear explosion couldn't stop me. What hope did you have?"_

_ Sean's neck snapped back into place as he glared up at his 'creator'. "Fuck you...asshole. I'm not done yet." Alex knelt down, the same emotionless expression on his face. _

_ In a flash, his claws pierced the man's chest making him cry out in pain as blood splashed everywhere. "I could easily consume you right now." Mercer said twisting the claws causing Sean's agony to increase greatly. "But not today." He withdrew the claws, Sean grasped his chest gasping for air. _

_ "You will see me again kid. Be certain of that. You still have a purpose in this new world I'm hoping to create. I can see and feel your rage. But you could be so much more than what you are. Join me. Help me create the world and make Humanity what it was meant to be."_

_ Sean glared hatefully at Alex as he staggered to his feet, "No fucking deal. You're a sick twisted fuck that should have burned with the rest of the virus." he spat out._

_ Alex turned and started walking away, "I'll let you think on it. But if you choose to stand in my way..." he spun and charged the younger man, grabbing him by the throat and lifting him off the ground, "Then you will be destroyed."_

_ Sean gnashed his teeth, "Go right ahead, asshole! You've taken everything else from me. My friends, what's left of my family, and you turned me into a fucking freak! What else could you possibly take from me!" _

_ Mercer grinned darkly. "They were all just collateral damage. As for you...I just got sloppy with Blackwatch breathing down my neck at the time. But now that you have 'grown' there may be use for you. But until then," He raised his fist and pulled it back, "See you around kid."_

_ The fist connected hard against Sean's face, sending him flying through the air crashing through two buildings and every wall within them before slamming into the street several blocks away. _

_ Laying in the crater his body had made on impact, Sean allowed his body to finish healing from the fight he had just been in before crawling out on to the street. _

_ Glaring back where he had come from, he turned and saw the barrels of guns from over two dozen Blackwatch soldiers standing around him._

_ "It's Ares! Take him out!" The rifles fired. Sean quickly brought up a shield that deflected the rounds. When the soldiers stopped firing Sean dropped the shield, his arms shifting into a pair of razor-sharp axes. "My turn." he said before charging the soldiers as they resumed firing._

X

His hand gripped the railing so tightly that the metal warped with it.

For the longest time, he wondered what exactly Mercer had meant when he left him alive. The psycho path had an agenda, that much he knew already, but whatever he had planned was a complete mystery. And a gut feeling told him that whatever it was, was something that was far from anything good.

Since that day, Sean had kept on the move. Not staying in one place longer than he had to. Blackwatch hunting after him at every turn, they and Gentek having deep pockets and were using whatever resources they had at their disposal to locate him and Mercer. The body count he had racked up because of this manhunt of theirs was in the upper hundreds.

He'd stopped keeping count a long time ago.

Flicking the now spent cancer stick overboard, Sean stuffed his hands in his pockets and began walking leisurely along the deck. The ship he was on was traveling from Japan through the South China Sea, and if he had been paying attention right, they weren't that far from Taiwan.

Having traveled through Europe and Russia, he came into Asia roughly three weeks ago and jumped aboard the vessel using one of the many disguises that he had 'obtained' in his travels. It had been rough going at first, but he managed to avoid anyone coming after him. All the while using his powers to help people where ever he could, keeping to the shadows to avoid detection from any foreign governments and military officials.

He'd decided a long while ago to leave the US behind and find a place he could lay low for a while. And being this far out would definitely throw several parties off his trail and give him time to think about his next move.

Not to mention that Mercer was still out there, somewhere. And he'd never rest until the bastard was nothing more than a bloody stain smeared into the Earth.

Looking up at the sky, Sean paused while the warm sun beat down on his face. The image of a young girl with a bright smile entering his thoughts bringing a smile to his own face. His hand reaching up and clutching on to the pendant hidden beneath his shirt, a gold oval with a silver cross imprinted on it hanging from a gold chain.

It was simple, but the meaning behind it was worth more to him than any possession he might have had left.

The image faded from his subconscious as did his smile. Returning to a cold, calm exterior as he resumed walking along the deck...

_Bang!_

He froze. The unmistakable sound of a 9mm round being discharged causing his eyes to snap toward the bow of the ship. More gunshots following soon after along with people screaming. Sean was moving before he last one echoed out. Feet hitting the deck hard enough to shake the planks as he covered the expanse of the ship at speeds that should have been inhumanly possible.

Skidding to a stop when a man in business casual came running around the corner and collided hard into his chest knocking himself to the ground.

Looking down at the man, the Blacklight carrier noticed that they weren't that far apart in age. His face covered in sweat and pale as a ghost as he struggled back to his feet. "P-Pirates!" he shouted before sprinting around Sean and disappearing into the closest doorway.

"Pirates?" he wondered out loud turning back forward and finding that the man had left something behind when he had run into him. A data-disc, and a high-grade one at that.

Bending down, the Blacklight carrier picked it up and inspected it with close eyes. Looking back to where the man had disappeared before more gunshots rang out close to the front fo the ship. "Fuck it." he muttered slipping the disc into his vest pocket and resumed his sprint toward the trouble.

Slowing his movements when he reached the bow of the ship and pressing himself to the closest wall when he heard voices.

"Alright motherfuckers!" exclaimed a woman's voice. Sean peered around the corner and saw two individuals standing over a small group of people that were huddled on the ground. The woman was three inches shorter than him, wearing a pair of very low-cut jean shorts, combat boots and a black tank-top that barely covered 30% of her bronze colored skin.

She also had a head of plum-red colored hair that was tied back in a pony-tail with a pair of light-brown eyes that glinted with the same sadistic glee as she grinned at the frightened hostages. In both hands were a pair of 9mm berettas.

The African-American man beside her was well built, dressed in combat fatigues and boots with a white shirt beneath a tactical vest. A pair of sunglasses covered his eyes while he searched the crowd with a magnum revolver held in the air

"Keep your asses planted and don't make any fucking moves or you'll be getting a hot lead injection!" the woman shouted firing one of her weapons in the air making the people shrink back in fear.

"Alright, listen up!" said the man as he began pacing before them, "We're not here for your lives, but if any of you make any sudden moves, or try to call for help, then all bets are off." he thumbed back the hammer on his revolver for emphasis. "Now, we're looking for something. A disc that was supposed to be traveling with someone on this vessel. Hand it over to us, and everything will go peacefully."

Sean narrowed his eyes. _"A disc?"_ he pulled out the disc he'd picked up before. _"Why the hell would random pirates be looking for this?"_ A woman's scream drew him back to the scene and found the woman keeping her pistol pressed to a female hostage's head as she rummaged through her bags, the man doing the same with a few suitcases.

He could take them, the flesh of his exposed arms rippling with red and black tendrils in anticipation of a coming fight. But he couldn't risk the hostages, they'd be caught in the crossfire or worse. And despite the fact that he'd killed a lot with his abilities, he still had morals when it came to innocent lives.

Taking a deep breath and slipping the disc back in his pocket, Sean calmed himself before moving away from the wall. _"It's not like they can kill me anyway with what they're packing."_ he couldn't help but think as he moved out around the corner and headed toward the pirates.

The woman's head snapped up when his footsteps were heard, both her pistols aimed in his direction. "Don't you make another fucking move asshole!"

Sean made a show of raising his hands in 'surrender' as her partner aimed his weapon at him too. "Looking for something?" he asked looking between them, his old instincts from his time in New York coming back to him as he fought them back down. "Because I might have what you're here for."

The dark-skinned man took a few steps forward, "I take it you're the one we're supposed to intercept." he stated rather than asked. "You got the disc?"

Deciding to play along, Sean nodded and motioned down to his vest. "Inside pocket. It's yours if you leave the hostages alone." The man nodded as he moved forward again, reaching out and removing the disc from his pocket.

"Yep, this looks like it." he said looking it over carefully reading the serial number on the side. "Serial numbers match. Benny, got what we came for." he said into an earpiece.

"Just in time, there's someone heading straight for us from Subic Bay. Looks like it could be a patrol boat from the Filipino Navy." said someone over the link.

The large man holstered his weapon, "Don't panic, Benny-boy. Everything's taken care of. Start the engines." the rumble of boat engines resounded over the side where they were standing as the leader of the pirates addressed everyone. "Okay, ladies and gentlemen! We're gonna disperse and then you'll be free to go. But if anyone decides to come after us the deal's off. What you see down there on our boat, that's a torpedo launcher, understand what I'm saying?"

No one made a move making him nod, "Good. Stay still for the next half-hour unless you wanna be blown out of the water. Revy, let's go." he said turning toward the gangplank they had used to get on board.

Sean watched the man depart, lowering his arms before he felt a cold barrel pressed to the side of his face. "What are you getting so relaxed for?" asked the woman, Revy, as she sent him a dead look. "You're coming with us, jackass."

"Is that right?" asked the Blacklight carrier with a raised eyebrow.

Revy pushed the weapon farther into his skin, "Shut up, and walk." she ordered. Sean turned and began walking down the same path the other man had followed, his 'captor' right behind him with both her weapons trained on his back. "I hope you're aware of the world of shit you just found yourself in piss-ant." she growled as they stepped on to the old PT boat that was sitting idle.

A small grin spread across Sean's face, as the boat's engines kicked on and the vessel began to pull away from the bigger ship. _"I don't think _you_ know the world of shit you put yourselves in."_ he thought as they entered the boat's cabin.

No one noticing the red wings on the back of his vest glowing faintly before the metal door closed.

**A/N: A short first chapter, but I just wanted to have a brief introduction of Sean and what drove him to South-East Asia. And now that he has been dragged on to the Lagoon where the crew has no idea what he is or what he's capable of, things are about to get really crazy.**

**Let me know what you guys think about this, with the low amount of content put into this particular category I'm not expecting too many views. But if you happen to run across this, tell me what you think and if it's worth continuing. **


	2. Pirates of Roanapur

**A/N: Ladies and gentlemen, the public has spoken and damn has it been loud and clear. And with the ideas I got cooking, I'll definitely make this one for the history books. Despite the fact that Black Lagoon doesn't have that many stories, crossover or other wise, I was quite shocked that this story developed a fan base so quickly. Though I'm definitely not complaining in the slightest.**

**But enough about how awesome this is hoping to be, let's get back to what you came for!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

There were few things that amused Sean these days. After wat he had been through back home, finding such luxuries was difficult. But when he managed to find something it was definitely worth seeing.

Like right now, seeing the pirates that had 'kidnapped' him fighting amongst one another over the situation.

"Just what the hell where you thinking, Revy?!" the built man, Dutch, demanded of his subordinate as they sat in the cabin of the PT boat while drifting through the waters toward their next destination. "What were you planning to do with a hostage anyway? huh?"

"You don't get it, Dutch. You just don't get it." Revy said sitting up from her spot against the bulkhead. "Think about it! We're only getting paid twenty grand for this job! Only twenty grand! What's wrong with collecting a little side bonus for a ransom?!"

"You're being simple-minded." stated a blonde man with glasses and a Hawaiian shirt from a small room filled with computer equipment.

"You wanna die, Benny!" Revy shouted at him.

"Not really." Benny said back casually as he went back to work.

"So, who's gonna negotiate with them? You?" asked Dutch coming back into the conversation. "Do you have their phone number? What about a bank account to receive the ransom?" each statement causing the woman's already short fuse to be lit and burn out.

"Fine then!" she exclaimed kicking a nearby crate and drawing one of her Cutlass, aiming it at Sean who sat against the wall without a care in the world. "We'll just kill this fucker and throw his ass overboard!"

"I wouldn't do that." Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at Sean who now had his gaze locked on Revy's. The Blacklight carrier narrowed his eyes, "I don't like guns being aimed at me." he said calmly.

Revy gritted her teeth, taking two strides across the room and digging the barrel of her gun into his forehead. "Is that right? Well guess what, you don't get a fucking choice in the matter." she began to squeeze the trigger.

The next moment was a complete blur. Sean's arm snapped out smacking the gun to the side just as it went off, making the shot go wide. In the same moment, he was on his feet, driving his elbow into her stomach and knocking the wind out of her while grabbing her by the neck with his free hand. Taking the Cutlass from her weak grasp, he slammed her against the bulkhead and jammed the barrel of the weapon under her chin, cocking the hammer back as he looked dead into her stunned eyes.

No one moved or breathed. The fact that their so called hostage had disarmed and put their best gunman at a disadvantage left both Dutch and Benny reeling. Revy gritted her teeth, keeping a strong front even though she knew that she was fucked at that moment.

"Now you're the one without a choice, how does it feel?" Sean asked with a smirk. He looked over his shoulder when he felt another barrel at the back of his head and saw his reflection in Dutch's sunglasses.

"Back off." he stated gruffly. The Evolved looked back at Revy and stepped away. Ejecting the clip from the weapon followed swiftly by the round in the chamber before tossing it to the floor. "Good." said the man holstering his weapon, "Now, let's you and me head outside, grab a smoke and keep our cool. Sound good?"

Sean nodded to the captain and followed him out. Revy picked up her Cutlass and ammo, putting it all back together while glaring at the man's back. But also, silently wondering how he did what he did.

Wincing, she held her stomach still feeling the impact from his strike. "Fuck...he almost broke a rib. How did he do that anyway?" she wondered looking to were he and Dutch disappeared.

X

The crystal clear waters of the ocean and the smell of the salty sea air had a comfortable feel, along with the sun shining down on the deck of the boat.

Sean leaned back against the outer hull, hands behind his head with a cigarette between his lips. Dutch was seated beside him taking drags off his own cancer stick. "So, what happens now chief?" the Evolved asked after flicking ashes off the end of this smoke.

"We'll contact the right people somehow and set up a trade." said Dutch. "But right now we have our own priorities. getting that disk to our client comes first."

Sean nodded, "So there is a client you took this job for." he said taking another drag. "That thing must have something important on it to have someone send people to come looking for it."

"We're just delivery boys." said the Captain. "We brush up against the law from time to time so we can eat. But that's business."

_"Sounds familiar."_ Sean couldn't help but think as he finished his cigarette and tossed the filter over the side of the boat. He knew deep down that these people were on the bad side of the law given what their business must entail. But if it meant putting money in their pockets and food on the table he couldn't fault them too much.

"What's your name?" Dutch asked after a moment or two.

"Sean Mason." replied the Evolved.

"You look and sound American, what are you doing this far out in the world?"

Sean stood up and dusted off his pants, "Honestly, I'm just passing through." he said cryptically as he walked toward the bow of the PT boat and stood facing the water. Dutch kept his eyes locked on the younger man, being an ex-military man, he knew how to pick out people who had the skill set of someone who had seen combat.

The look in his eyes told him a lot, along with how he held himself. Even though he was calm, the Captain could tell that he was expecting a fight, the way he had disarmed Revy being a perfect example. No normal civilian could do that to an expert gunslinger and just walk away without care.

His instincts were telling him that something wasn't right, that they didn't pick up some random civilian to get a ransom. He just couldn't put his finger on it.

They traveled for a good long while, the sun having disappeared below the horizon long ago as they pulled into port by a small line of warehouses. The pirates all hopped off their vessel, Sean coming up behind them as they walked down the dock toward land. "Welcome to Roanapur." said Benny casually from the front.

The Evolved smelled the air, the city held the same kind of stench that New York had but more defined. The smell of death and depression hanging heavy in the air telling him that this city held a bit darker nature under the surface. "Where we headed?" he asked.

"Some place where we can have a drink. Don't you wanna come?" asked Benny.

Sean chuckled, "If this is how you treat all your hostages, I'm surprised you don't have a larger group tagging along."

Benny snorted as they approached a parked GTO on the other side of the warehouse where they left the boat, "Let's just say that we don't take people hostage all that often." he replied getting into the driver's seat, Dutch taking shotgun while Sean and Revy took the back.

The car pulled away from its spot and started down one of the many busy streets. Passing by several bars and strip clubs on either side, drunks and hookers were scattered along the sidewalks as they headed into the city.

_"City of sin."_ the Evolved thought watching a man and a woman scantily dressed disappearing into a dark alley. He continued watching out the window with a bored expression, it looked like the opposite of Manhattan at night. But a lot of places looked this way out here. Places where people could get anywhere and get anything for the right price.

He'd seen a lot of different districts similar to this in his travels.

A few minutes of driving had them pulling up outside a well lit building. The neon lights above the front door reading **'Yellow Flag'** as Benny parked the car and they piled out. Sounds of loud laughter and shouting coming from inside that raised in volume when they stepped through the doors.

Looking around the heavy, smoke and alcohol fille atmosphere of the bar, Sean's sharp eyes immediately took notice of the fact that despite everyone seemed to be getting along, there was a firearm on almost every table around the room.

"So, I take it this is the 'bar at the end of the world' you hear about in movies and read in books." Sean said as they sat at the counter at the front, the bartender laying out drinks for them before heading off to help other patrons. "I feel like I just walked into an old western."

"Good analogy." said Dutch taking a long drink from the beer in his hand. "This place was started by Southern Vietnamese soldiers who survived the war. But they started taking in fugitive soldiers, too, and before we knew it, the place went to hell." A glass was shattered over a man's head and a small fight broke out by one of the tables. Dutch just continued like nothing had happened, "Hookers, junkies, mercenaries, hit men...Irredeemable criminals."

The bigger man looked over at their guest, "Make you uncomfortable?" he asked.

"I try to avoid confrontation, even though it seems to find me pretty easily." replied the Evolved, taking a few gulps of his own beer. "But as for this place...I've seen worse." he said staring straight ahead. The other three looked at him with raised eyebrows before going back to their drinks.

"Benny, I'm gonna make a call." said Dutch standing up and heading outside through a side door.

Benny nodded before turning to Sean, "He's a bit unusual. Hell, all I know about him after being around him for two years is that he's tough, intelligent, and eccentric."

"He's ex-military." said the Evolved getting the computer genius' attention. "He's got that mood about him, and how he handles a situation gives it away further."

He turned to the blonde on his left, "Out of all the people I see here, you seem the most out of place. What did you do to wind up here?"

Benny smiled in memory, "I went to college in Florida. I was fooling around and managed to piss off the Mafia and the FBI. Then-"

"I saved his ass before he was thrown in a suitcase." said Revy suddenly cutting in with her Cutlass out on display. "Stop with the worthless story telling already." she continued while laying her gun on the bar, taking a couple of shot glasses and filling them to the top with Bacardi. "We came here to get drunk, so let's get drunk." she slid one of the full glasses across the bar knocking Sean's nearly empty beer to the side.

Revy went to say something else after downing her own shot, but she stalled and gaped when she saw their hostage swallow the rum in two large gulps. Reaching over and taking the whole bottle and chugging that down as well.

Given his condition, the virus in his body would burn off the alcohol quickly, but he'd could still get a good buzz if he got the stuff in his system fast enough. "Been a while since I had Bacardi, I almost missed the flavor." he said looking over the empty bottle before setting it back on the counter, sending a smug look Revy's way. "I wouldn't be starting a challenge you can't finish."

The female gunslinger growled, "Bao! More Bacardi, bring everything you got if you have to!"

Benny sighed while sipping his drink, "And here I thought you said you tried to avoid confrontation." Sean chuckled as the bartender layed out five full bottles of rum on the counter.

"It's the weekend, and chivalry was left at the door." he stated while the drinks were poured.

X

Outside, Dutch was on his phone talking with their employer about the current job. "Is that so? That can't be good. Go on."

"I didn't trust Asashi Industries' response." said Ms. Balalaika, the head of Hote Moscow from her office on the other side of the city. "So I left out bait, and a Chinese rat jumped right in. I'm talking to him now." a loud groan emitted from the background for emphasis.

"Who's on the move?" asked Dutch.

"One moment." she replied before talking with someone else. "Tell me your owner's name, loud and clear."

"Sh-Shingian! Shingian's Wan Taikei!" a man shouted back in agony. "Wan Taikei sent an assassin to get you! He's sent an assassin to Roanapur!"

"Hear that?" asked Balalaika.

"Yeah. Not good." replied Dutch.

The Russian mafia leader spoke to her hostage on the other end of the line again, "Tell me the number and affiliation of those soldiers. Speak loud. And hurry, we're busy."

"G-Guys from Extra Order, a mercenary contracting agency! I don't know how many there are!" exclaimed the hostage.

"The EO Company scouts experienced war junkies. Rotten luck." said Balalaika.

"You said it." replied Dutch, lighting up a cigarette just as the sound of guns discharging was heard over the phone. "We'll keep you posted on any changes, but for the time being we'll keep our heads down until the deal is done." another thought hit him in that moment. "Balalaika, I have another favor to ask if you don't mind."

The woman hummed, "What is it Dutch? You don't normally ask for random favors unless it's important."

"The courier we picked up from the ship when we got the package...something about him doesn't seem right. Think you can do a background check on him?"

"I'll see what I can do, do you have anything we can go on?"

"Sean Mason. American affiliation. Caucasian, 6'1'' height, green eyes and black hair." said the Captain said reciting the younger man's statistics from what he knew already.

X

Back in the bar, a crowd had gathered around the counter cheering on the two as they downed shot after shot of rum. Three of the five bottles that had been laid out were empty and they were working on their fourth.

Sean grinned at his drinking partner over his glass as he gulped down more rum. He had to give Revy credit, she could hold her booze better than anyone he'd ever met. Barely feeling the buzz from the alcohol, but still noticing the tinting of the woman's cheeks as she kept drinking. "Ready to give up yet?" she slurred slightly, slamming her glass on the bar.

"Not a chance." the Evolved said finishing off the next bottle and preparing to open the last one...But he stopped.

Over the loud noise behind them and echoing throughout the bar, his sharp hearing picked up something close to the door. The soft clinking of metal bouncing off the wooden floor. Too loud to be a gun, but also heavy and solid as well. And there was more than one.

Given the amount of rounds and explosives thrown his way, he knew the sound almost by heart, which was why he grabbed both Revy and Benny and leapt to the other side of the bar. "GRENADE!" he shouted just as three explosions went off in the center of the room.

Glass and debris shot in all directions, the lights were knocked out from the blast plunging everyone into darkness while bodies were thrown all over. Some of which in pieces before the sound of full auto fire came through the shattered windows and peppering every surface within the building.

Those that were still alive were cut down before they realized what had happened. Sean crouched down behind the bar with Revy, Benny and the bartender as the rounds bounced off the other side. _"Bullet proof bar? Nice."_ thought the Evolved as he peered over the top of the counter, seeing the muzzle flashes from assault rifles coming from the darkness outside.

"Revy! If they're friends of yours, you deal with them!" Bao shouted over the gunfire while holding up a double-barrel shotgun.

Revy shrugged, taking a drink from a nearby bottle, "I don't know them." she said as another barrage of rounds peppered the bar. "You bullet proofed the bar?"

"She can handle up to .50 caliber." replied the bartender proudly just as Dutch's voice echoed out through the room.

"Revy!"

"I'm alive!" she called back.

"Benny!"

"Miraculously, I'm alive!" the blonde called back as he ran to Dutch's position and took cover.

"How bout you Sean?!"

"Still kicking! Whoever these assholes are, they came prepared!" shouted Sean while Revy took out her Cutlass' and switched the safeties off. Another grenade was thrown into the bar and detonated making them slump back into cover.

"Revy! Show them why you're known as 'Two-Hands'!" Dutch called across the room just before the shooting stopped. Through the shattered front entrance, a group of armed mercs stormed the building with weapons ready.

"Spread out and search. I heard voices." said one of the men from the back, obviously the leader while his men executed any bodies that were still breathing. "I hate survivors!" the leader said shooting the man groaning on the floor by his feet.

"What a great line." Revy said with a wide grin. In the next moment, she was leaping over the bar raining bullets down on the thugs. Taking several of them down as she moved and flipped around the rounds that were fired back at her while she kept shooting.

Dutch fired from his position giving her covering fire and granting her a chance to move more freely.

Sean clenched his fists, feeling the rippling beneath his flesh as more men stormed the bar. "Fuck this." he muttered before leaping over the bar himself, charging the closest merc and shoulder slamming him full force. The impact sending the man hurling across the bar and crashing into the jukebox in the corner.

[ A/N: Play: 'Black Betty' - By: Spiderbait]

A few mercs turned in his direction and raised weapons, only for the Evolved to kick an overturned table at them. The wood shattering and sending the men crashing to the floor.

Sean kicked one of the dropped rifles up into his hands and sprayed rounds into another merc that came out of cover, spinning on the ball of his foot and kicking a second one that tried to get him from behind. The force behind the blow strong enough to send the man spinning in the air and slamming against a nearby pillar with enough force to break bones and crack wood.

The Evolved dropped low, the butt of a rifle missing the back of his head as he drove his elbow into the merc's gut doubling him over. In the same instant, he pulled the .45 the man had in a holster on his thigh, rolling across the man's back while he was hunched over and putting two rounds into one of his comrades on the left.

Landing on his feet, he spun again and bashed his knee into the merc's face with a loud crunch. Sending him head over heels before landing on the back of his neck on the floor below.

Off to the side, Benny and Dutch were watching in shock as the thugs were being dispatched with such precision. Even Revy was impressed from her spot behind the bar where she had dropped to reload. "No way in hell that bastard's taking all the fun." she growled to herself, slamming fresh clips into her Cutlass' and jumping on to the counter. The two mercs before her spun and each took a round in the chest before she leapt back into the fight.

Sean grabbed the arm of another merc, twisting it to the side enough until he broke it. Over the sounds of his screaming, the Evolved twisted the damaged limb and forcing him to shoot one of his friends. Kicking the injured man to the floor and shooting him twice to put him down.

It had been a while since he fought without using his powers, and it felt more than a little liberating knowing that his old skills hadn't died.

The repeat firing of two 9mms behind him caused him to turn, seeing Revy sliding across the floor on her back into a cluster of mercs. Both guns shooting in different directions taking them all down with a grin of sadistic glee on her face with the thrill of the kill.

Another wave of rounds tore through the bar, forcing everyone into cover. "We gotta leave! Let's go!" Dutch shouted as he and Benny moved toward the side exit. Revy emptied both clips while using one of the attacking mercs as a meatshield, she shoved him away allowing Sean to shoot him in the back of the head as they both ran toward the others.

The door crashed open, Dutch bringing his revolver to bare and shooting two mercs that were laying in wait for them while Benny ran to the car and started it up.

Sean fired his pilfered .45 back into the bar until the slide locked back signalling a spent clip. Tossing the gun aside, he saw one of the mercs that had been shot rise up from the floor, taking aim with his sidearm at Revy who was focused on others that were in cover.

Moving fast, he shoved her aside as the man fired. The Evolved grunted when he felt the round punch through his side while the female gunslinger shot the merc. "What the fuck asshole!" she exclaimed as she resumed shooting.

"You're welcome!" he said back as Benny brought the GTO up. The group wasting no time in jumping in and taking off. A group of mercs rushed out the door and opened fire on the retreating car, but Revy had a plan for that as she leaned out the back window, pulling the pin on a grenade she stole off the body of a thug.

"Eat this cocksuckers!" she shouted hurling the explosive at them. The following blast taking them out as they turned down the street and heading back toward the docks, putting as much distance between the Yellow Flag and them as possible.

[A/N: End Song]

"Anyone hit?" asked Dutch reloading his gun while Benny gunned the engine down the nearly empty streets.

"I'm good." said Revy coming down from her high and holstering her weapons.

"No holes boss." said Benny.

The Captain looked back at Sean who was looking out the window with a calm expression. "Sean?" he asked when he didn't answer.

"I'm fine." he said, keeping his body turned so that none of them could see the cluster of red and black tendrils that fixed the damage where the stray bullet had got him. Dutch nodded and turned back to the front.

Silence rained in the car for a while as they traveled. Revy had lounged back in the seat with her feet on the back of the seat in front of her. "Boa looked so pissed, he was like a steaming pot back there. He said that unless we pay him back, he's gonna weld our assholes."

"Scary. I think I'm gonna cry." said Dutch casually, Sean snorted a laugh from his spot.

"This place always this exciting?" he asked thinking back to the gunfight at the bar.

Revy smirked, "Only on the weekends. That bar gets shot up at least once a week, surprised Bao hasn't had a fucking heart attack with how much it costs to keep rebuilding it." she glanced over at him and narrowed her eyes. "What the hell was that back there anyway?"

The Evolved shrugged, "Instinct." he said simply.

"Only trained soldiers or assassins react with that kind of instinct." said Dutch turning around in his seat and looking at their passenger. "Which one are you?"

Sean was quiet a while, "I was in the US Marine Corps. for about six years. Right after I got out of high school. I was ranked at Lance Corporal when I was sent back state-side." he finally answered.

"A marine?" asked Benny now into the conversation and getting a nod as an answer.

"Yeah, was given an honorable discharge when I received word that my folks had been killed in an accident. My little sister didn't have no one to take care of her, so I went back home and became her guardian." Sean's eyes glazed over as he seemed to be looking back into the past.

"Why the fuck are you even here?" asked Revy sparking up a cigarette. "What? Taking care of a kid too much for you so you ran, or something?" he didn't answer. "Hay asshole! I asked you a fucking question!"

The Evolved turned to her and sent her a look that nearly stole the air from her lungs. It was a look of a person that would kill without flinching should they be pushed too far. She seen those looks before, but it was mostly arrogant bravado from wannabe gunmen who wanted a piece of Two-Hands.

But this guy...deep in her gut she had a feeling that he was capable of doing that and much more. The look in his eyes told her that he had spilled blood before, a lot of blood, and had no trouble doing so again.

Just like her.

"I heard you." he said with a sharp note in his voice. "But quite frankly you're a long way off from asking anything about my past that I don't reveal willingly. So _leave_ it _alone_." he turned back to the window and was silent once more.

Revy clenched her fists and bit down hard on her cigarette, preparing to yell at him and beat the shit out of him for what he said when Dutch grabbed her arm. Shaking his head slowly telling her to let it go. He'd seen that look too, and it was one he'd seen a lot during his time in Nam'.

"Given the status of things, I think it's pretty useless to set up a trade for you." he said changing the conversation in another direction. "We can part ways at this point. But the least we can do is offer to have you around until all of this is over, as long as you don't slow us down. Deal?"

The Evolved nodded, "Deal. And to be honest, I wouldn't mind getting another crack at the assholes that were shooting at us. Whoever hired them obviously had reason, and I'll bet that the disk you're delivering has something to do with it. If that's the case, then things are probably going to get worse very soon."

"How are you so sure?" asked Benny.

"It's a basic tactic in intelligence matters." Sean started to explain. "If the enemy, or a third-party, has their hands on classified intel that you don't want known, the only logical options would be to either retrieve it or destroy it. Chances are those guys were sent to do either one. Which means we've all just become targets."

"Any idea what's on the thing?" asked Dutch.

"Not a clue." replied the Evolved. "Hell, I don't even know the people that owned it."

The GTO swerved suddenly while Benny regained control of it. "WHAT?!" Revy exclaimed. "You were delivering the fucking thing! How do you not know?!"

Sean sighed, "I'm not the delivery boy. Some guy on the ship in a tie crashed into me and dropped it. I just picked it up when you guys started shooting and handed it to you because it would save people from getting _religious_ from how pissed off you were getting. I'm still a soldier at heart when it comes to civilians."

There was a tense silence in the car as the Lagoon Company realized the gravity of events that had taken place. Revy leaned back with the heels of her hands rubbing her eyes, muttering 'Fuck' repeatedly and kicking the back of Dutch's seat. Said Captain just blew out a slow breath before lighting up his own smoke, Benny just remained quiet.

"Alright." said Dutch after a while. "The situation hasn't changed. We get back to the Lagoon, and head to the rendezvous point where our client will be waiting before sunset tomorrow. And if our friend here is right about those mercs coming after us for the disk, then we better be prepared for the worst."

He looked in the rearview at Sean who was still looking out the window at the passing city. "Honestly, with what you've told us, I'm surprised you haven't bailed out yet. Why you sticking around?"

The Evolved didn't move while he answered. "I thought about it, but when those guys shot at me it became my issue. And I never leave an issue unfinished." The image of a familiar man in a leather jacket and grey hood appeared in his mind's-eye making him tense. Eyes flashing red in fury before he forced it back down. "No matter what it takes." he muttered mostly to himself.

Dutch raised both eyebrows, but shook it off as he turned back around. Passing off what he had seen in the reflection of the glass as a trick of the lights outside.

X

In her office of her main headquarters. Balalaika, the head of Hotel Moscow, sat in her usual chair behind her desk, smoking one of her favorite cigars as she looked over a few reports that were spread out before her.

A knock at her door drew her attention away from her task. "Come in." she said as the door opened and her right hand, Boris, entered with a file under his arm.

"Kapitan." he greeted respectfully. "We found the information that was requested."

Balalaika took the file when he offered it to her and began reading the contents. Her ice-blue eyes scanning each word carefully, a frown appearing on her face as she read the information twice. "Is this accurate?" she asked looking at her subordinate.

Boris nodded, "Yes, ma'am. We had the data checked multiple times before I brought it to you. It is accurate."

She nodded, dismissing him with her thanks as she sat back in her chair and took a long drag on her cigar. Looking back down at the open file which contained the picture of one _Mason, Sean A._ which depicted a young man of 25 with spiked black hair and green eyes. Fitting Dutch's description perfectly.

"Well then, this is certainly interesting." she said to the empty room as she glanced out the window at the darkened streets of Roanapur. Intrigue filling her mind and causing thoughts to roll over the more she thought about what she had just read. Being the head of one of the most powerful organizations in the city, she didn't like not knowing what was happening in her territory.

Especially the fact that the Lagoon Company was currently harboring a dead man.

**A/N: I know the cliffhangers are starting to mess with your heads, but it's the only way I can go for the time being. And you know I always deliver when it comes to these things.**

**The future is looking good for this story, and I have a lot of high hopes. Also, I'm considering multiple avenues for it and thinking about where to take it so that it is successful. You know, action scenes (including good music), canon changing dialogue in some places, character development, and possible pairing options. It'll be a lot of hard work, but I think I can manage.**

**That being said, if you guys got ideas, shoot them to me and I'll consider them. You know where to reach me. Till next time guys!**


	3. Evolved on Board

**A/N: Gotta admit, I'm liking the feed back that I'm getting. With with the popularity that this story is gaining in such a short time, I'm seeing a damn good future in mind. But that aside, I posted the next installment much faster than intended for your enjoyment.**

**(Mistakes have been taken care of since first posting.)**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

_"But I don't want to go!" said a little girl with long brown hair and green eyes as she looked up at her brother._

_ "We have to Jenny, it's not safe here anymore." Sean replied looking out the window of their apartment. The streets below were chaotic as people scrambled to escape the district toward the nearest military check point. Trying to stay ahead of the infected that prowled around._

_ Jenny shivered in fear as she clung to him, "But...I'm scared. There are monsters out there." she whimpered into his shirt._

_ Sean held her, rubbing her back to calm her before kneeling down to her level. "Everything's going to be okay, Jen. No matter what happens, I'll protect you. Okay?" she wiped her eyes and nodded._

_ Grabbing the rucksack that was on the table and slinging it over his shoulder, the young man grabbed the shotgun he had laying next to it and the box of spare shells and storing it on himself before heading to the door. His young charge sticking close to his side as he turned to her._

_ "Everything's going to be alright." he said again with a small smile before opening the door._

X

Sean opened his eyes slowly, reclining back in the co-pilot chair of the Lagoon with his feet on the dash. The rising sun just beginning to peak over the horizon in the distance as the boat made its way through the waters.

Very seldom did he sleep, he didn't really need to. But when he did he always ended up reliving the past, when everything was falling apart around him and the idea of hope was starting to fall more and more.

"You were out for an hour." said Dutch at the helm, answering the unasked question. "If we maintain this speed, we'll be at the Belawan port by this afternoon. We'll meet Balalaika there."

The Evolved nodded, "Sounds good. Any sign of trouble from those mercs?"

"Nothing. Though that doesn't change the fact that they still could." the Captain looked in his direction. "You talk in your sleep. Kept saying 'Jenny' over and over, she someone important?"

Sean lifted his legs off the dash and rested them on the floor. "My sister." he said not taking his eyes off the scene outside the viewport before them. Not giving anything else away as he fell silent again.

Dutch heard the slight hollow tone in his voice when talking about it and decided to leave it alone. The younger man's skills had impressed him since he had arrived on the boat, and being a former military man had given the two something in common.

"You said that you were a marine for six years. See any action?" asked the Captain.

"Did a long tour in Iraq, deployed on recon missions and a few assaults on hideouts with my squad. I always wanted to be a soldier, Grandad fought in WWII and lost his leg at Normandy on D-Day. Dad fought in the Gulf. Guess it's something that ran in the family." said the Evolved.

Dutch stamped out his spent cigarette in an overloaded ashtray nearby. "Fought in Vietnam myself. Gotta say that you got the look in your eyes of someone who has seen combat. And your skills are pretty sharp, haven't seen someone clear a room of gunmen as fast as you did back at the Yellow Flag."

"Instincts are hard to turn off." said Sean with a double meaning behind his words that Dutch wasn't able to catch.

"Don't I know it." replied the Captain.

Another hour later the sun had risen a bit higher painting the sky and water an array of orange and pink hues. Benny and Revy had gotten up not long after Sean and Dutch's talk and were going about what they usually did on boat. With the blonde at his computers and the gunslinger up on the deck outside for a smoke.

Getting bored, the Evolved had gone up and joined her as they watched the water slipping past. Neither of them saying a word as they both blew smoke into the open air. "So," she said after a long while, "Got any good stories ?"

"Maybe a few, depends on what you're looking for." Sean replied taking a drag off his cancer stick.

Back in at the helm, Dutch adjusted their heading a bit when Benny spoke over his earpiece. "Dutch, I got a call from Balalaika. She said that it's about your last conversation."

The Captain tapped his comm, "Patch her through, Benny."

A moment later, the Russian woman's voice floated through his ear. "Dutch, I take it your trip has been uneventful since last nights little skirmish?"

"You could say that. Can I assume that you found something with what I gave you?" he asked back.

"Indeed I did, and it is something that you will find very interesting." Dutch's brows furrowed while she spoke, something telling him he might not like what he was going to hear.

X

In his 'office' Benny busied himself with the various readouts and data on the screens around him. Drinking a cup of coffee while he monitored his equipment.

Taking another sip from his mug, he paused when he saw a blinking light moving along the radar on screen toward their position. "What the hell?" he wondered setting his coffee aside and typing a few things into the computer to double check the readings.

"Shit," he tapped his earpiece, "Revy, are you on deck right now?"

"Yeah. What is it?" she asked back.

"There's something coming straight at us over the ocean, but it's not a boat. It's moving too fast. Way too fast. At three hours, five minutes. Can you see anything?" asked the blonde keeping his eyes locked on the moving blip on the radar.

X

Outside, both Revy and Sean turned in the direction Benny had pointed out just as the sound of powerful rotors thrumming echoed across the ocean. In the distance, a dark shape was approaching from the direction of the rising sun.

"Only one thing on Earth makes that noise." said the Evolved as the shape became clearer.

"Fuck! Gunship!" Revy shouted as the aerial unit flew over the boat, banking right and coming back around.

"Damn it! The bastards have an assault helicopter?!" Dutch shouted from the helm as he gunned the engine. The Lagoon shot forward at a higher speed as their pursuers came around for another pass.

Revy pulled out a high-powered sniper rifle and an assault rifle from a storage locker located on the deck. "Sean, catch!" she shouted tossing him the rifle while she braced the larger weapon on the hand railing before her. "Though I doubt it'll do shit against that thing."

The Evolved looked at the weapon and shaking his head, _"May as well be shooting a rhino with a BB gun." _ he thought tossing it aside and glaring up at the gunship as it came up behind them letting loose a barrage of small missiles, Revy firing her rifle at it while the water around them exploded in large pillars.

"I know it isn't good, Dutch!" the female gunslinger said into her earpiece from something the Captain said as she continued shooting. The gunship doing another pass firing its machine guns and peppering the outer deck of the boat and making it shutter. "Fuck!" Revy shouted ducking down as one round hit close to where she was standing.

The gunship flew past, taking back off into the sky and began to bank around for another run. Sean glared up at the craft, he knew damn well that they were in trouble. The Lagoon couldn't outrun it even if they were in water, and they had nothing on board that could take it on and win. It was a losing situation for them no matter what they tried to do.

Closing his eyes, the Evolved took a deep breath before opening them again and making his way to the bow of the PT boat. Fists clenched as he figured out that there was no way around this. Even though he had no alliance to these pirates, they didn't deserve to die because some common day cowboy/merc was paid to take them out. All because of some data from a greedy company from god knows where.

Revy had finished reloading the rifle when she saw their guest head toward the bow, "Dumbass! What the fuck are you doing?! Get down!" she shouted as the gunship made a complete turn in the distance and was heading straight for them.

From his seat, Dutch watched Sean stand at the very front of the Lagoon, fists at his sides as he looked up at the sky at the approaching air unit. "What in fuck is he up to?" he wondered as he kept the boat's speed at maximum.

The wind wiped all around, salt water spraying across his face as he looked up toward the rapidly approaching gunship. A familiar setting for him given the fights he had endured against Blackwatch's strike teams back in New York.

Steeling himself, he cocked his left hand back as though he were about to throw something and concentrated on what he needed.

What happened next, would forever be burned in Revy and Dutch's minds. As they watched Sean's whole left arm disappeared in a flurry of red and black tentacles, the limb reforming into something that was probably only seen in nightmares.

His skin had turned pitch black covered in hardened tendrils of sinew with bright-red veins running through it, bulging slightly with black spikes sticking out at various angles. And at the very end was a sharp blade shaped like a trident that was over two feet long that glinted in the growing sunlight.

At the same time, his other arm began to change. Only this one taking the form of a massive blade that easily half his size. The glinting edge was serrated and curved slightly at the tip, while the other end stopped at a smaller blade that extended out where his elbow should have been.

Overall, it was a horrific sight.

The gun in Revy's hands clattered to the deck as she stared wide-eyed, mouth gaping at the transformation while Sean kept his eyes locked on the oncoming hostile. When he gauged that the gunship had reached a close enough distance he struck.

Snapping his left arm out, the trident blade launched forward. Connected by a long tendril covered in sharp spines that acted like a whip. The limb extending all the way through the air like a spear and stabbing into the front end of the chopper, piercing the hardened metal like it was paper and attaching to it.

Bringing his blade-arm to bare, the Evolved gave a jerk and was suddenly airborne. Following the path of this whipfist like a bullet, the pilot of the gunship too stunned to make a move as the living projectile closed the gap in mere seconds.

Glass shattered, metal warping as the canopy of the helicopter was struck. Sean's shoulder barreling through it as though it were nothing as he now perched on the nose of the gunship. Eyes burning red as he glared at the pilot and the co-pilot who were now frozen in fear. "Yippy-kai-a, motherfucker!" he shouted.

There was a flash, and the blade was burrowed deep into the man's chest, going straight out his back and through the controls in front of the co-pilot and stopping mere inches from his face.

The Evolved pulled the weapon free, the blood being absorbed through his changed flesh as he jumped backwards. Whipfist still attached to the chopper as he swung around it, bringing his blade up and slashing down. The motion cleaving the tail end of the gunship off and sending it into a death spiral, smoke and sparks shooting from it as it plummeted toward the waters below.

With the job done, Sean withdrew his whipfist from the doomed gunship and snapped his arms and legs out. The action allowing him to now glide through the open air as he searched for the Lagoon. Finding the boat not too far away and banking in that direction as the sound of the chopper hitting the surf and exploding echoed behind him.

He managed to reach the deck before he completely lost altitude, the PT boat shaking slightly when he landed as he looked back at the sinking ruins of the air unit that had been after them. _"Feels like old times already."_ he couldn't help but think before he heard the sounds of weapons being primed.

Looking forward, he found Dutch, Revy, even Benny with guns in hand. All barrels aimed directly at him as he stood with his arms still in combat-form. "Guess I have some explaining to do, huh?" he said shifting his arms back to normal.

The action causing Benny to visibly finch and Revy to tense as she kept her Cutlass' on him. "What the fuck are you?" said Dutch, his shotgun aimed at the Evolved's head and leaving no room for bullshit.

"Honestly, I don't even know myself." Sean replied rolling his shoulders. "Though, if you want an explanation, I'll give you one. But I'd prefer if you didn't point those at me."

Revy growled, "Not gonna happen you fucking freak. Now talk!" she demanded, itching to pull the triggers.

Sean gave her a dead expression, "You just saw me tear through an armored gunship. Do you honestly think small arms fire will do any better?" he asked crossing his arms. The three pirates stood motionless for a few seconds. "And incase your wondering," he added, "If I wanted you dead, I would have done so the moment you took me off the cruise ship the other day."

Dutch lowered his shotgun, "How can we trust you?"

The Evolved shrugged, "I guess you can't. But given that your still alive, that should give you just enough of a reason." he walked past them, Benny flinching as he went by as he headed for the hatch back into the cabin. "I'm grabbing a beer, and if you guys still want that explanation then I suggest you get comfortable. It's gonna be a long one." he said before disappearing.

The pirates looked to one another before slowly following. All of them curious about where this could be headed.

X

After a given amount of time, and after Dutch had put the Lagoon in a spot that would guarantee them safety for the time being. Teh crew all gathered in the makeshift galley that they had onboard and sat around.

Sean had finished off his drink and toss the can in the garbage before turning toward the others. Each of them having varied emotions in their eyes, but all had one or two in common. Either fear, or curiosity.

"Alright, let's start this off." he said gathering his thoughts. "Any of you familiar with the viral outbreak that overtook New York City over six months ago?"

"Everyone heard about it." said Benny. "CNN did a complete coverage of it, said something about a scientist from some company going crazy and releasing a biological agent into the populace."

The Evolved shook his head, "That's only part of the story. It goes a lot deeper than that. The virus that infected New York was something called Blacklight. From what I can understand, it's a evolutionary chimeric mutation-causing agent. It basically alters a hosts cellular makeup and changes their DNA. The bio company Gentek had been using it for experiments in their labs in the city when the outbreak happened."

"And let me guess, you were infected with it." said Dutch getting a nod for an answer. "How did this shit escape?"

Sean gritted his teeth, "One of the scientists, Alex Mercer, he stole a vial of the stuff and tried to escape with it. But Gentek sent their attack dogs, Blackwatch, after him and cornered him at Penn station. Out numbered and with no way to escape, he shattered the vial an released the virus before they gunned him down. Problem was, he didn't stay dead."

"Wait a minute, did you say 'Mercer'?" asked Revy standing up straighter. "The fucker that's number one on the most wanted list?"

"The one and the same." replied Sean. "The virus changed him, made him stronger, faster, and have the ability to regenerate from damage dealt along with changing his body into any weapon form he desired. But the same couldn't be said for anyone else infected."

"Apparently, the virus was able to do that with only a small number of people, depending on their genetic code. But in others...it cause uncontrollable mutation and death. Hybridized mutants roamed the streets that killed anything in their path, a good portion of the populace were infected and became zombie-like in nature. The city went from peaceful, to complete fucking shitstorm in less than a week. Nothing could stop Blacklight from spreading like it did."

Dutch took off his sunglasses and rubbed his eyes. "How did it not spread out from NYC?" asked Benny.

The Evolved leaned back in his chair, "Seems that the virus couldn't survive in large bodies of water. And since Manhattan is one big island, it was easily contained. Especially after they destroyed the bridges leaving air transport the only way in or out."

"How do you fit into all of this?" asked Dutch. "Obviously you have the virus...but what exactly are you?"

Sean looked at his hands, tendrils rippling along his arms making the crew tense. "I...don't know exactly. Me and my sister were living in Manhattan when the outbreak happened. Trying to survive day to day while everything fell into chaos." he ran a hand over his face. "We tried to escape, but the amount of infected in our district was too high. We got cornered and..." he trailed off, his voice cracking for a moment before he shoved any emotions he had back inside.

"What we didn't know, was Mercer was roaming the streets." he said after a moment or two. "What he was after, what he was doing, I couldn't tell you. But I ran into him at one point. It didn't go well. You see, Mercer's powers drived from the amount of bio-mass he had to consume. The more he consumed, the stronger he became. It's how any virus can survive, it needs to feed like any living organism."

"Hold the fuck up!" Revy shouted now in shock, "Are you telling us that this fucker ATE people?!"

The Evolved nodded, "In a matter of speaking. He 'consumed' them. Breaking down their flesh on a genetic level and applying it to his own. Taking with them their memories, skills, everything about them. Which was what he was trying to do to me."

"What stopped him?" asked Dutch.

"Blackwatch." he replied with hostility in his town. "They were working with the Army to try and contain the infection. And bring Mercer in dead or alive. A squad was nearby when I was attacked, they distracted him enough that he went after them instead...but I was already infected." Sean ran a hand over his chest as phantom pains from the claws that penetrated his chest came back to him.

"When I woke up, I was in some lab deep in the city. Apparently Gentek and Blackwatch were doing everything they could to fix their mistake, and since I didn't change into a zombie when I was infected they saw me as an asset. When Mercer tried to gut me, he accidentally infected me with his strain of the virus. In short, I became like him."

He leaned back in his chair and held up his right hand, the limb vanishing in a flurry of tendrils and reforming into a one bladed axe that was half the size of a car's hood. "They experimented on me." he explained as his arm changed into his whipfist. "For days." another change, this one into his blade. "Cutting, dissecting, injecting, whatever the fuck they thought of." one last shift, this time into a set of claws. Three with one extra for a 'thumb', serrated and sharp.

"I was nothing more, than a fucking LAB RAT!" he spun, slashing his claws and slicing the table behind him to ribbons in one strike. The pieces clattering to the floor loudly. The pirates jumping to their feet, reaching for weapons as Sean stood with his back to them breathing heavily.

Several tense seconds passed, the Evolved regained his senses and stood quietly. "I managed to escape. After they tried to burn me alive since I was no longer useful." he clicked his claws together, the sound echoing off the metal walls of the room creating an eary tempo. "I killed, consumed, and fought my way out. Anything in my way became another statistic. And the more I consumed, the more I learned. About Blackwatch, Gentek and Mercer. And the more I learned, the more pissed I got."

"They didn't care about the city or its people. They just wanted to protect their assets and being shut down by the government. From then on, anything with Blackwatch's or Gentek's logo on it became a target along with the infected."

He started chuckling, "I even found out the bastards gave me a codename. Mercer was labeled 'ZEUS' since he started it all, the scientists that were working on me began to call me 'ARES'. And by the end of the infection...I lived up to that name."

A tense silence befell the room as Sean's story came to an end. The Evolved raised his hand and changed it back to normal. "I don't know what I am, the Gentek assholes had dubbed me and Mercer 'Evolved' with what we were able to do. The birth in some kind of new evolutionary chain in humanity. Guess it fits somehow."

Revy swallowed hard, the tale striking her to her core as she looked at the being before her. "What are you doing in the South China Sea? The way I see it, your one big fucking killing machine."

The Evolved, turned to them. "Even though that's true, the virus becoming a part of me. I'm still who I was before it happened. An ex-marine with morals and a sense of honor. I haven't taken the life of someone who didn't deserve it, but there's a lot of people out there who do. As for why I'm here...like I told Dutch the other day, I was just passing through."

"Mercer and I had it out when the infection came to an end. The two of us leveled 10 square blocks, but he beat me. Bastard was a lot stronger than I first thought, mistake on my part. After that he vanished, so I decided to do the same. Keeping ahead of Gentek and Blackwatch for the last six months, then you guys came along. And here we are."

Sean held his arms out, "And there you have it. You're standing in the presence of a living, breathing weapon of mass destruction. With a huge grudge against the people that created Blacklight and the motherfucker than unleashed it."

The crew of the Black Lagoon sat back down and digested the information as best they could. All of it sounded beyond fucked up, but after what they had seen, the serious expression on the man's face, they knew damn well that he wasn't messing with them.

"So...uh..." Benny started. "What are you going to do...now?"

"Hard to say? I promised to see this whole situation to the end, and I will. And if that's the case, then I'm pretty sure that there's a package that still needs to be delivered." said Sean heading toward the door that would lead back out to the outer deck. Pausing at the door and glancing back at them, "I mean no harm to you or your crew, Dutch. To be honest, you're the only people that have treated me like a human being in months. I almost missed the feeling." Without another word he left.

Dutch stood up after a long bout of thinking and headed toward the helm. "Dutch," Revy said making him pause. "Can we trust this guy? Whatever the hell he is?"

The Captain said nothing at first, "There are several things I can tell about a person, Revy. One of them is knowing whether or not they're a threat. And for the first time since 'Nam, I can tell that he's definitely one for the history books."

"However, I can also tell when someone can be trusted, given our line of business. And if he's able to reveal that much about himself and what happened, and have no intention of killing us in our sleep, then I can trust his words. Though I suggest staying on his good side for now." with that being said he headed for his usual spot, Benny right behind him heading for his room as well.

Alone, Revy thought over what they had been told. Thinking back to everything she had done since they brought Sean aboard with one thought in her mind. _"He could have fucking killed me...at any time."_ It wasn't in her nature to feel threatened. But at that point, it was pretty easy to feel that way. But at the same time, she wondered something very specific.

If he slaughtered people who deserved it, then why hadn't he taken them out when they became a threat?

X

The rest of the trip was uneventful, making it to the port on time where several people were waiting for their arrival. "Good job." said a tall, blonde woman in a red business suit with a green army jacket over it, scars covering her beautiful face as she held her hand out. Dutch stepped forward and handed her the disk. "I love smart work, Dutch."

Sean took notice of all the men standing around her, armed well and holding themselves like veteran soldiers protecting their Captain.

"Though I have to say, you all look a bit rough." said Balalaika looking them over.

"Well, we're not going to any formal parties. We'll dress however we want." replied Dutch standing with the others.

The Russian woman nodded and turned to the two business types that were standing by another car. "Now, Mr. Kageyama. We, from Hotel Moscow, have a code of honor."

"Oh?" asked the man next to his subordinate. "I thought you were from the Bougainvillea Trading Company."

"We followed through in our own way." said Balalaika as she approached them, her right hand at her side as she handed over the disk. "There shouldn't be any grudges. Now it's your turn to follow through in your own way."

Kageyama accepted the disk and slipped it into his jacket. "The world is full of things that cannot be helped." he said calmly. "Very well, we'll discuss the details back at your hotel." he stepped into the car with his follower and they started off. Everyone else doing the same.

Putting his hands in his pockets, Sean looked out over the water. Part of him already deciding what his next move was going to be when he hard a car pull up behind him. "Mason." he turned and saw Balalaika addressing him from the passenger seat. "I've heard good things about you, and I'm hoping to hear much more. Come to us should you ever need anything." the window rolled up and she drove off, leaving him and the Lagoon crew at the port.

"So, Sean, what will you do now?" asked Dutch.

The Evolved shrugged, "Just go where the wind takes me. I'm still keeping out of sight until I can hunt down Mercer. Though I've thought about sticking around for a while. Roanapur seems like my kind of town. Definitely exciting enough."

Revy smirked, "You know, I might know of a place that's in need of a good sailor. You might be a living super-weapon, but would you be interested in working for a delivery company?"

Sean smirked back, "A company that raises hell and does what it takes to put food on the table while having a good time? Seems a bit under my skillset...but it sounds like fun all the same."

"So long as you don't eat the crew." Benny threw in getting a few chuckles out of the others.

Dutch held out his hand, clasping it with the Evolved's. "Welcome to the crew...Ares." Sean grinned widely, his eyes flashing red a brief moment.

"Glad to be here...boss."

X

In the backseat of his car, Kageyama was on his cellphone getting into contact with one of his corporations many business partners. "Yes, we have the disk in hand. Sorry for letting it get taken as it did, we will ensure that it never happens again."

He took out a small laptop and slipped the disk into it, checking the data over to be sure that it was the real think and not a fake. "I'm looking at it now, everything's here. We'll pay the Russians and I'll bring it to you personally...Of course." he clicked the phone shut and sighed. "They aren't happy about being in the wrong hands, but as long as they get it they'll continue to maintain their contract with us."

"Thank Kami for that." said his associate from the front with a sigh. "It would have been a disaster should we have lost this data. And I'll be sure to take the blame for leaving it in with the wrong courier for the job."

Kageyama let out a slow breath before looking down at the screen before him. "This data was too important to lose, be sure it never happens again." he said as he looked the files over again.

On screen, was a symbol depicting three hexagons, two on top of one stood out with the name **'Gentek'** displayed above it. The window depicting the files themselves contained within the disk, possessing the label; **'Project: ORION'**

**A/N: Bet you didn't see that twist coming, huh? For those that didn't play Prototype 2, you'll get a pretty big shock behind the meaning in the last sentence. For those that did, don't spoil the surprise.**

** Update coming soon, leave reviews at the door!**


	4. Bad Company

**A/N: Hitting my stride here folks, and once I get rolling, it's damn near impossible to stop me. Granted, I want fans of my other fics to know that I have NOT abandoned them. Just taking a little time off from the genre's is all for the time being. And with this project here, I wanna make sure that it gets off the ground good.**

**I also wanted to say sorry for a couple of grammar mix ups in the last installment. I cranked it out so fast I didn't double check my work all the way. But I fixed the errors and reposted it last night so it should be okay for the time being. And there has been a few PMs regarding Sean's growth in Roanapur, along with a few pairing ideas for the future.**

**His growth will be slow going at first, but he will be getting stronger after certain events happen. I'll have to leave you in the dark with that one for now. But as for the pairings, I've had people throw at me the ideas of setting him up with either Revy, Sawyer or, and this is a shocker, Roberta. And given what happened to him, and his personality, he'd fit in with any of them.**

**I won't be doing a pairing for a while, if there even is one that will fit good with the plot. But it is an idea in the works. But for now, here's the next chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing!**

The sun shined down on Roanapur in the late morning. Its citizens going about their business in their usual fashion through the streets and market places. In one of the many districts, close to the port, was the offices and homes of the Lagoon company. Who were also going about their day as they waited for another job to reveal itself to them.

Dutch stepped out of his room a few feet down the main hall from their main office and entering the room itself. Finding Revy lounging on one of the sofas with a gun magazine in hand with a couple of beer cans scattered on the coffee table nearby.

"Morning." he grunted, getting a similar greeting in return as he headed to the small kitchen and poured himself a cup of coffee. Taking a small pull from it as he surveyed the room. Benny had taken to the Lagoon for the day to update some of his equipment, but what got him wondering was where their newest member currently was.

"Where's Sean?" he asked leaning against the counter.

Revy shrugged, "Don't know. Wasn't here when I woke up. Pounded on his damn door for over 10 minutes before I realized he wasn't there. Think he's out terrorizing the town?" she asked with a smirk.

Asking the Evolved to be a part of their crew was a huge gamble. They only had the faintest idea of what he was capable of and only word of mouth that he could be trusted. But given said skills, he could prove to be an invaluable asset when they got in a tight spot.

That, and as the old saying went, 'better to have a big gun on your side than aimed at your back'. And Sean Mason was one hell of a big gun with what he was, and probably one of the biggest threats in the whole city.

"We haven't heard any screaming, so we can assume that he's not up to anything too bad." said the Captain finishing his coffee and taking out a pack of cigarettes.

The female gunslinger sighed, "Shame. I kinda want to see what he can do when he really cuts loose. I mean, you saw how he took down that gunship the other day. Who knows what else he can do."

Dutch would be lying if he said he wasn't a bit curious himself. The story Sean had told them left him feeling both thoughtful and fearful, wondering what the power of this Blacklight virus could really do when unleashed. But the more rational part of him knew not to tempt fate with such things, and trust the Evolved with when to bring out that part of himself.

_"Wonder where the kid is right now?"_ he thought sparking up his cancer stick.

X

[A/N: Play 'The Bomb' by Pigeon John]

The wind whipped past almost as quickly as the buildings as Sean ran full sprint across the connected rooftops. Full sprint for an Evolved being over cheetah speed making everything around him almost a blur. A pair of headphones in his ears leading into his pocket where a new ipod he got from a black market trader earlier that morning.

Reaching the end of the line of rooftops, he pumped bio-mass into his legs and leapt through the air, crossing high over the street and reaching another string of buildings on the other side. Rolling when he landed and continuing his run when he got back to his feet. Given his speed, no one in the streets below seemed to notice him as he traversed the city that he was now calling home.

And what better way then to do so on foot.

Veering left, he jumped into the air again, snapping his arms out and gliding to the other side of the street. Feet touching down on the side of another building before he began running along the surface. Kicking up dust along the old structure before kicking off, grabbing a flag pole and using to change his direction while keeping momentum as he went down the side of an adjacent building.

Defying gravity like this seemed like a dream at first, now he did so without a second thought. Of course he had to do so without applying to much force and crush the wall he was running along with his feet.

Launching off at the end and gliding a short distance. He slowed down just enough so that he landed in an empty side street and took off again.

Taking a right, he shot down an narrow alley, leaping up and kicking off the left wall. Repeating the action with the right as he landed back on the rooftops above, skidding to a stop at the edge of the last roof and looking down at the busy streets below.

_"Place seems pretty quiet in the morning for a city of immorality."_ he thought to himself as he surveyed the people. Heading toward the other side of the building, he dropped down into an alley, shaking the ground briefly when he landed before sticking his hands in his pockets and heading out into the street.

[End Song]

Walking along the sidewalk past a handful of others as he headed in the general direction of the Lagoon office. In a lot of ways Roanapur and New York were about the same. Granted, the city of the South China Sea was more violent and was pretty much a human version of a Darwin experiment.

And in perfect honesty, the best place in the world for someone like him to stay out of sight and disappear for a while.

He looked up toward the sky and thought about the last couple of days. The last thing he had expected was to be joining a group of pirates in this corner of the world. But there was always a saying somewhere to expect the unexpected.

For the Evolved, trust was hard to earn given all he had been through. And for a while he wondered why he stuck around with these guys, given they were on the wrong side of the law when he was a former US Marine that followed a set of morals and obligations.

Though that seemed like so long ago in another time and place, before his own country seemed to turn against him and he was being hunted like some rabid animal for something Gentek's little virus had done to him. In the end, he could tell that each one of them had been through something that drove them away from the lives they had and into something where they did what they could to survive.

Just like him.

Each of them had their own secrets. Something that none were intending on telling another soul, and it was their god given right to keep it to themselves. Sean only gave them the nutshell version of what happened to him and was in no hurry what so ever to tell them any more. Maybe one day he would, just like he expected them to tell him the same when they felt they could trust him as well.

The crew of the PT boat had every reason to distrust him, in fact it almost shocked the hell out of him when he was suddenly invited to join them. Guess they saw something in him that he saw in each one of them. A type of kinship that only comes with being an outcast in a world that doesn't understand.

Continuing his morning walk, Sean stopped by a street vendor and picked up a bag of apples before making his way back to the office. Heading up the stairs to his new home and finding Dutch heading in the opposite direction. "Hay, Dutch. Heading out?" he asked as the dark-skinned man snatched a piece of fruit from the bag.

"Something like that, be back in a few." he said as he left the building. Shrugging, the Evolved continued on his path and entered the Lagoon office, finding Revy on the couch going through one of the magazines they always had laying out.

"Where you been? Had Dutch curious for a while." she said setting her magazine aside and catching an apple that was tossed to her.

"Went for a walk, caught him on the stairs heading out. Any idea where he went?" asked the Evolved sitting in a nearby chair taking a large bite out of the apple in his hand.

"Who knows. Besides, it's none of our business what Dutch does in his spare time." said the gunslinger as she ate her own fruit. The two sitting quietly as the morning went on, Benny popping in a moment to get a few things before heading back out again saying something about picking up a package.

From her spot, Revy kept a subtle eye on Sean. Even though she had ultimately given him the choice to join the crew, her instincts kept telling her to be weary of him. Given what he was, it kept her on her toes wondering if he was going to attack at any moment with one of those demonic-like weapons of his.

It was almost like one predator watching another.

"Hay, Sean." she said getting attention as he worked on his third apple. "How are you even able to eat? I thought you had to...what was it? Consume people or some shit like that."

Sean swallowed the bite in his mouth, "Technically that's true. But I only need to consume every once in a while to stay strong and regenerate from heavy damage. I can still eat, my body just breaks it up into small amounts of bio-mass. It's more or less like eating tofu, it keeps you good but it doesn't quite hit the spot."

Revy shivered a bit, the thought of how he basically absorbed another human being into himself was more than a bit sketchy. But her morbid curiosity kind of wanted to see it happen first hand.

Another thought came to mind, and in typical fashion for her character, she asked without a second thought. "Can you still do other human shit?" he gave her a confused look. "I mean you can eat. Do you sleep? Shit? Fuck?"

The Evolved raised an eyebrow. "Don't need to sleep, though I choose to once in a while. As for the second thing...no. Since everything gets broken up genetically and gets absorbed. As for the last one, why?" he grinned at her, "Did you wanna find out? I certainly have the stamina."

"Dream on, petri-dish." Revy spat while laying back on the couch. "I'd probably end up catching some fucked up mutant STD or something."

Sean shrugged, snatching up one of the gun magazines from the table and started reading. The day began to pass slowly as they sat around waiting for something to happen. Thankfully that wasn't long when Dutch came back with Benny saying something about a job.

The crew all piled into the GTO and headed out to the docks, weaving around mid-afternoon traffic. "So, what is it today?" asked Benny changing the station on the radio.

"Just came in, passed on from Donnie Yen." said Dutch. "We're supposed to be picking up a package from the Vietnamese military at Phu Quoc island. And since our schedule is open..." he trailed off while lighting a cigarette.

"What are we going to do with all these pathetic jobs, Dutch?" Revy gripped from her spot beside Sean.

"Job's a job, better than sitting around doing nothing." said the Evolved getting a glare from the woman.

Dutch nodded, "He's right. Anything's better than nothing. And a little cash coming in is even better. Besides, it beats getting shot at every time." The GTO took a left and headed toward where the Lagoon was waiting.

As they passed a small restaurant, one of the men sitting at a table took out his phone and dialed the number he had on him. "Mr. Chin, they're on their way there."

"Good, they fell for the trap." replied the gangster on the other end.

X

The familiar sights and sounds of the ocean filled the air as the PT boat made it's way toward Phu Quoc island. The location barely a few hours out and would prove to be an easy job as long as there weren't complications.

Dutch sat at the helm driving, Benny at his computers, while Sean and Revy stayed on the upper deck. The female gunslinger lounging on her back at the bow while the Evolved leaned against the railing, his right arm in claw form widdling a piece of driftwood with one of the sharp blades to pass the time.

A squawk of a passing seagull overhead and the splashing waves filling the silence along their journey. "Man this is dull, I hate slow jobs like this. Not enough action." said Revy with a yawn.

"At least the scenery's nice." said Sean blowing off a few wood shavings before slicing another section away. The gunslinger rolled over and watched him slice away with his claws.

"What does that feel like? You know, when your arms change." she asked with her sharp eyes tracing over the mutated limb.

Sean cut away another piece of wood, "Ever have your arm fall asleep? That prickly feeling as you get blood-flow back?" he got a nod. "It's like that but more subtle. After a while you can't really feel it anymore, it takes a bit of concentration but at least it can't be triggered by accident."

Revy looked in thought, "Revy." she looked his way again. "What did you do before coming out here? Everyone's got a story, what's yours?" he asked.

"What I do hasn't really changed from then to now." she replied calmly, her eyes drifting off to a distant memory that only she could see. "I stole, I killed...I did everything that's considered bad. Nothing really fascinating about it."

The Evolved looked up from his widdling and could see the cold, hollow look in her eyes. He'd seen those eyes, even before Manhattan fell apart. The eyes of someone who'd seen hell and the worst humanity had to offer. Sean knew he had the same eyes, even more so now.

Whatever she had been through, was something no one should have had to go through. Something he knew all too well.

"Dutch, we got several boats on radar." Benny said over the comms attracting everyone's attention.

"There shouldn't be any merchants around." replied the Captain. "It's a pirate's bay. Can you find out what they are?"

Sean had tossed the wood he was working on aside and changed his arm back to normal and jumped up to the highest point of the boat. Looking around for the boats Benny had mentioned and seeing six smaller vessels approaching from behind. "Benny's right, Dutch. Got a half-dozen on our six."

"They're small and fast." added the computer expert. "They could be police boats looking to arrest pirates...We just got a red alert!" he said suddenly in surprise.

"What the hell is this?" wondered Dutch. "They blew right by yellow and gave us the red lamp."

"Their speed is 28 knots." Benny updated. The Captain wasted no time in pressing the accelerator forward sending the Lagoon surging ahead.

Sean pulled out a pair of binoculars and observed the incoming vessels. Three stacked up on either side and closing in on both sides. "They're closing in on a basic hunting pattern. Three coming up on either side."

"Dutch," Revy said coming on the line, "I can smell it."

"You know who they are?" asked the Captain.

"It stinks all the way up here. These guys aren't marine cops." she added with a smirk.

The Evolved smelled the air, his enhanced senses picking up what she was. "She's right, Dutch. They reek of blood and smoke. Definitely not police." he looked through the binoculars again, seeing the front of the closest boat and seeing the stationary guns mounted on the bow. "They got heavy artillery. Dual mounted .50cals. They were waiting for us."

"That's not right. I've been doing business with Donnie Yang for a while, and his economic situation wouldn't be able to cover something like this." replied Dutch just before another voice cut in on the radio.

"Hello! Hello! Can you hear me, Lagoon?! It's me! It's been a while, Dutch."

Dutch gritted his teeth and growled, "Luak. There's no prey here. Go home before you get lost."

"There's prey right here, Dutch. A ratty old torpedo boat." said Luak as his fleet closed in on them.

"Counting six vessels." said Benny. "If it is Luak, he's brought everything he's got."

Dutch shook his head, "Damn all these stupid bastards." he muttered to himself before activating the radio. "Chin got you involved in this, didn't he, Luak? God must pity you for your stupidity."

"Heh. Once we get a pint of lead in you, maybe it'll put an end to that pillow-talk of yours." said Luak as the mounted guns of the lead boats on either side turned and targeted the Lagoon.

From his spot in the lookout, Sean looked from left to right monitoring their position. "Dutch, they're on both sides. But they're fucking stupid if they think it's a good position."

"I can see that, Sean. Better hang on to something!" said the Captain grabbing the throttle and waiting for the right moment. When the guns fired, he slammed the lever back cutting the accelerator and pulling them out of the line of fire. The two lead boats instead were both caught in the crossfire, the .50cal rounds tearing through hardened metal, one of the boats going up in an explosion when a stray round hit the fuel line.

"Amateurs." said the Evolved from his position as the PT boat started accelerating again. "One down, Dutch."

Luak growled over the radio, "Don't get confident. I'll send you all straight to hell!"

"Still four vessels. Dutch, they're closing in fast." said Benny.

"Revy, you're up. Give them a taste of 'Two-Hands'. Sean, think 'Ares' can give her a hand?" asked Dutch smirking.

"On it boss." Sean responded leaping down to stand next to Revy, rolling his shoulders in preparation.

"Leave it to me." said Revy, loading a 40mm grenade into the launcher in her left hand. A bandolier of more rounds around her neck along with a 9mm Uzi and clips for it slung over her right shoulder. "You better be ready for this, petri-dish." she said pulling on a pair of headphones attached to a CD player attached to her hip.

"Just try to keep up." Replied the Evolved as she hit the play button. Her eyes and demeanor shifting into that of a killer as they both surveyed their opposition.

"Benny-boy," Dutch said as he watched the two readied themselves. "There are two on the left and two more on the right behind us. Am I right?"

"And one more right behind us." replied the blonde.

"Deal with that one last guys." said the Captain.

Revy nodded, "Alright, I'll go with the shit on the left." Sean grinned as they sprinted to their respected sides of the boat, and their targets. "Lets dance the jitterbug baby!" she whooped as she launched herself into the air to the first boat on the left.

Coming down on the side of the attacking vessel before opening fire with the uzi. Crossing the grenade launcher over her right arm and blasting the gunmen that were standing on the deck clean off.

On the other side, Sean made the easy jump with both feet slamming into the first gunman and sending him hurling over the other side. Before the others could respond, his arms transformed into their axe-form and he slashed in both directions. One man losing an arm and screaming in agony while the other lost his head.

The driver of the boat drew his side arm and fired. Small mists of red shooting out of the Evolved's body, but he didn't so much as flinch as he sliced upward. Blood spraying through the air as his torso was gashed wide open, his other axe cleaving into the controls and causing a small explosion that cut all power to the craft.

Job done, he turned to the next boat as the crew opened fire on his location. Switching his right arm into his whipfist, he launched it at the vessel and attached it to the bow. Slingshooting himself straight for it while his left arm changed into claws.

"What the fuck is this guy?!" one of the men shouted trying to reload. Sean landed on the boat and lashed his whipfist through the air, three of the crew ducked, but the other two weren't so lucky as they wound up being sliced in half. Blood and innards splashing across the deck as they fell apart right in front of their comrades.

Not giving them a chance, the Evolved brought out his other set of claws and lunged. Stabbing the serrated blades through the chest of the closest gunman. The one standing next to him raised an AK-47 only to have it cleaved in two. Sean dropping down and swiping low, taking the man off his feet before slashing downward and splitting the man down the middle. His claws going through bone and tissue like wet paper while it rained crimson.

Turning to the last gunman, Sean found the man shaking like crazy. His face pale as a ghost with a large dark stain on the front of his pants. "...Boo." the man screamed a high pitch before throwing his weapon away and diving overboard. Taking his chances with mother nature than the killing machine on board.

Chuckling, the Evolved heard the gunfire and explosions stop not to far away and saw Revy finishing up with her last boat. Desiding to end this as well, he grabbed a grenade dropped by one of the gunmen. Pulling the pin and dropping it near the gas tank before crouching low and leaping into the air. Gliding toward the Lagoon, landing on the deck just as they picked up Revy with the boat exploding moments later.

"Damn it, my fleet!" Luak raged seeing all the destroyed vessels. "They took out all my boats!"

The Lagoon made a U-turn and began making its way straight toward them. Sean and Revy at the front, the former with a cigarette in his mouth and hands in his pockets with the latter reloading a fresh grenade in the launcher. "You just hit a dead-end." said Dutch over the radio. "Looks like you were the one destined to dance the cha-cha with the devil, Luak."

"Damn it! How dare you!" the man shouted, grabbing the wheel of his boat from his subordinate and cranking the wheel as he spun them around. "Those fuckers aren't even human! Chin can go fuck himself, I'm not dealing with these demons anymore!"

Revy raised the launcher in the air as the boat began to run, twirling it on her finger and pointing forward before firing.

Luak's boat exploded in a blast of heat and metal. Ending it completely and sending him to the bottom of the ocean like the rest of his crew. The female gunslinger bringing the smoking barrel to her lips and blowing it out as her inner killer slowly slipped back below the surface.

She looked to her left when she found a lit cigarette being held out to her from the one beside her. Accepting it, she took a long drag as they looked at the destruction they had caused.

"That...was a thing of beauty." said Sean blowing smoke out his nose.

"Damn right it was." she agreed. The both of them falling into a moment of silence that was soon broken by the sounds of gasping breath.

By the nearest railing, one of the men that had managed to escape the carnage pulled himself on to the Lagoon. Gulping in air greedily before looking up at the duo in terror when he realized where he was. "Fucking bastard." Revy snarled taking out her Uzi again.

Only for Sean to stop her. "Save your ammo. I got this." he said tossing his half-smoked cigarette away before heading over to their stowaway. Dutch watching on from his seat as he crossed the bow and stood before the terrified man.

"P-Please...It was all Luak's idea! And that guy Mr. Chin! Ju-Just let me live! Please!" he begged.

The Evolved reached down and grabbed him by the throat, hoisting him in the air as though he weighed nothing and let him dangle off the deck in his grasp. "Funny, because you seemed all too eager to shoot at us a minute ago." said Sean leering into the man's eyes.

The man whimpered like a beaten dog as his soon to be executioner bore down on him. "Normally, I'd just kill people like you. But your friends shot me up a bit and that's left me a bit..._hungry_." He cocked his hand back, changing his arm into claw-form before burrowing it into the man's gut.

Blood dripping off the ends of the blades that pierced out the man's back fell into the ocean below. The gunman looking down in shocked horror before several tendrils shot from the Evolved's body and wrapped around him.

Revy's eyes widened at what she was seeing. Dutch unable to turn away as he too watched the phenomena. The lowly gunman could barely scream as he was ensnared in a cocoon of tendrils coming off Sean's body. There was the sound of flesh tearing and bones breaking as the mass was condensed into a smaller form before being dragged into the Evolved's form which itself changed into a mass of tendrils.

It only lasted less than a second, but to the two pirates it might as well have been hours.

Once the man was consumed, Sean suddenly grabbed his head as the man's memories rushed to the front of his mind;

_"So, all we gotta do is take out this one boat?"_

_"Yeah, and Chin said that we'd have all the trading routes in that area. Easy score. What the hell can one old ass boat do against our fleet?"_

_"No kidding. Come on, let's load up. The boss should be giving the word to move out any time now."_

When everything settled, Sean opened his eyes as the new memories were stored away. Looking out over the ocean before turning to face Revy who had been routed to her spot. "That...was...fucking AWESOME!" she shouted while grinning like a maniac. "That was some freaky shit but, DAMN!"

The Evolved chuckled, "Never heard it put that way before. But I guess I can deal with it." he said as they headed inside and toward the helm.

Dutch looked over his shoulder at them as they entered. "Full?" he asked looking at Sean.

"Four course meal." he replied patting his chest. "It was a bit greasy, but other than that no complaints."

The Captain chuckled as he began driving them back to port. "You didn't get any blood on my boat, did you?" he couldn't help but ask.

Sean shook his head, "Not a drop boss. Scouts honor." he said getting another round of laughter as they headed back toward home.

X

"Dammit. We busted our asses for nothing." Revy groaned as they all lounged back at their office a few hours later.

"It's not so bad." said Benny walking by with a large box in his hands. "Kinda like being bitten by a dog."

The phone started to ring, being the closest Sean got up with a slice of pizza hanging from his mouth while the female gunslinger fired back, "It's terrible, moron. Bullets aren't cheap, you know."

Pulling the slice from his mouth, the Evolved grabbed the phone and put it to his ear. "Lagoon Company."

"Oh, Mason! It's been a while." came the feminine, Russian tone on the other end. "Is Dutch around?"

Sean looked over to the Captain. "Dutch, Balalaika." he said tossing the man the phone who caught it while drinking from his mug.

"Yeah?" he asked into the device while Sean sat back down. "Who told you?...Not really. It wasn't enough to even give me a headache...Oh? Is it cooler than J.B.?" There was the sound of an explosion over the receiver that made everyone perk up a moment. "Yeah, that sounded cool." a moment later Dutch set the phone aside when everything was done.

"Everything good, Boss?" asked the Evolved.

"Yeah. She was just filling me on some local gossip to cheer me up." replied Dutch. "Revy. Sean. You guys got any plans?"

"Not really."

"Nada."

"How bout you, Benny?" the Captain asked as the blonde came back into the room.

"Maintenance on the electronics, but nothing that can't wait for tomorrow." said Benny.

Setting his mug down. Dutch stood up and addressed all of them. "Well, then. Considering the mental anguish incurred due to external interference, as your employer, it is my duty to provide entertainment as compensation. And therefore..." everyone had their attention on him as he smirked. "I propose a trip to the Yellow Flag to drink away our pain. On me, of course. So who's coming?"

"REALLY? Can we stay there until dawn?!" asked Revy excitedly.

"I'm in!" "Same here." said Sean and Benny both liking the idea.

"Then it's decided! Benny, get the car! Sean, we're finishing what we started when you first got here!" said the gunslinger as they all prepared for a night on the town.

**A/N: And there goes the ship chase. Sean gets his moment to fight, but manages to share the spotlight with Revy. Believe me, I'm not taking her thunder away. She's one badass bitch who deserves her title.**

**Little changes here and there, but they will become more frequent here on out. So be ready for them. Till next time.**


	5. Birth of a Demon

**A/N: How's it going everyone. In the last couple of days I've made a few decisions regarding this story and I intend on implementing one right here now.**

**Since I've been following canon too close I'm putting in my own original chapter to both progress my story and add more originality to it as well. For now, I'll let you all be the judges.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

"So, try to explain it to me again. At little slower this time." said Benny as he updated one of the many computer terminals he worked at daily. It was a routine check-up day for the Lagoon, Dutch was working on the engine and Benny the electronics while Sean was loading crates of supplies on board. Revy was off doing go knew what as the men worked.

Sean, dressed in just a pair of jeans and his combat boots, hoisted a crate easily four times his size and weight and carried it on the PT boat. The sun reflecting off the bare skin of his upper body showing defined muscles and the tattoos that he had. A large black tribal marking along his upper back and shoulders, and a red bio-hazard sign on his right bicep.

Even though he didn't really need to, the Evolved could still feel the sun on his skin when he removed the extra layers. It was a simple pleasure that he enjoyed every chance that he got.

"My clothes are made up of bio-mass. Just like my weapons. Only they're formed in a thin membrane that covers the rest of me." he answered Benny's question as he popped open the crate and began organizing the contents.

The blonde poked his head out of his office, "So...are you telling us that you're _naked_?" Dutch leaned out from the engine room wanting to hear the answer.

Sean thought hard a moment before shrugging, "In a matter of speaking, I guess. Though you can't see shit." He paused and looked at Benny, "Been having thoughts, Benny? Cuz I don't swing that way."

Benny flipped him off while taking a drink from his open beer. The Evolved chuckled as he finished up and headed out of the cabin back on to the outer deck. Business had been slow in the last week, so they were all doing what they could to be productive. Whether it be drinking, or working on the Lagoon. But the quiet was starting to make some of them stir crazy.

"Fuck this is boring!" exclaimed the resident gunslinger making Sean roll his eyes as he picked up another crate and walked back up the gang-plank. Revy came out of the warehouse by the boat scratching her head with a yawn. Hoping up on to a crate on the docks as she watched him work.

Secretly liking what she was seeing, but never admitting it. "How the fuck can you not go insane from the lack of action?" she asked bluntly.

"Easy, I'm not an adrenaline junkie like some of us." he said back in the same manner while loading the supplies onboard. "Besides, a job will come soon enough and we can stretch our legs. Until then we just need to occupy our time."

Revy scoffed as she leaned back with her arms behind her head and eyes closed. "Whatever, it still sucks." The Evolved looked her way and took a moment to admire her form. He'd have to be blind and stupid not to notice that Revy was a fine specimen. Curves in all the right places and legs that stretched out just right, not to mention her half-tank and daisy dukes barely left anything to the imagination.

Dutch had warned him that the last guy caught ogling her ended up with a 9mm slug in his balls. Sean just chuckled and told him that he was lucky that his would grow back then because it was too damn hard to look away once in a while.

Going back to his task, he ended up looking toward the cabin door and saw Dutch step out. His muscle shirt covered in grease and black smudges from the engine. "Just gotta call from Balalaika, she said that she's got a small job for us."

"Finally!" Revy shouted jumping down. "So what are we doing? Killing some assholes? Finding some good salvage?"

"Go ask her yourself, she only requested you and Sean." said the Captain tossing the keys to the GTO to Sean. "Know where Hotel Moscow is?"

The Evolved nodded as tendrils covered his upper half and reforming into his usual outfit, "Got the layout of the city days ago. I'm good." he replied heading over to the car with the gunslinger at his side. Climbing into the driver's seat and starting it up. "Been a while since I've been behind the wheel." he said adjusting the shifter. "You may wanna hang on."

Revy paused while attempting to light a smoke, "What the hell's that supposed to -MEAN!" she yelped as the engine roared, the GTO peeling out of its spot and shooting down the road nearly missing a couple other cars. "FUCKING HELL YOU BASTARD!" she roared at him as he quickly got used to it and cruised toward the Russian mob HQ.

Dutch chuckled and shook his head as Benny came up and joined him. "Think they'll be alright on their own?" he asked.

"Those two? Yeah. Though I pity the poor bastard that gets on both their bad sides." said the Captain before going back to work.

X

The place Hotel Moscow used as their main headquarters was in fact a hotel. Looking like a four star location for those with good money to spend, but those that knew the big dogs of Roanapur knew well that it was only a front for one of the most dangerous organizations in the city.

Sean kept all his senses open as he and Revy went down one of the many hallways toward a set of oak double doors. He'd spotted over 20 armed men since they entered, each of them heavily armed with a demeanor that said they would shoot anyone on sight if they started shit.

He had to give Balalaika credit, her men were definitely sharp as tacks and had the training to prove it. As an ex-marine, he could see that clear as day.

Approaching the double doors, Revy didn't bother to knock as she pushed them open and stepped in. "Hay, sis. What's up?" she said grinning.

Sitting behind her desk in her red business suit, her army jacket slung over the back of her chair with a signiture cigar between her fingers, Balalaika looked up at her guests not losing the aura of calm that seemed to always be around her. On her left stood her right hand, Boris. Looking as gruff and ready as the others as he stood faithfully beside his Kapitan. The scar across his face and stern look in his eyes proving that he had seen a great deal of combat.

"Revy, Sean, good to see you. I was hoping you would respond to my little invitation." said the Russian leader taking a long drag on her cigar.

"Got nothing better going on." replied Revy with a shrug.

Balalaika hummed as her ice-blue eyes went over to Sean. "And how have you been, Sean? Adjusting well to your new home?"

"No complaints so far, ma'am." he said respectfully, as an employer and former military leader. "The city definitely keeps you on your toes, and keeps your blood pumping. But I consider that a perk."

"Indeed." she said leaning back in her chair. "I suppose this must be pretty tame, considering the state of your previous home."

If he was surprised, he didn't show it. Though Sean really wasn't since he knew that someone as high up on the criminal food chain in Roanapur such as Balalaika would do background checks on sudden changes to her favored contacts. And since the Lagoon Company was one of the ones on top of the list, she'd definitely look into new recruits.

"I take it your referring to the viral outbreak?" he asked keeping his poker face in play.

Balalaika blew out a cloud of smoke and nodded, "Almost every major organization in the world heard about it. Though no one's ever encountered those that lived through it. New York is still in quarantine, after all. So it's surprising to see someone that not only made it out, but someone who is marked as dead."

Revy looked between the two but remained quiet. Wondering if the older woman had figured out the Evolved's secret.

"I got lucky." said Sean. "Managed to escape toward the end after surviving the infection. Given how many people died or became infected it was chaos, not uncommon for certain parties to make assumptions."

The Russian woman narrowed her eyes, Boris doing the same as they regarded the younger man as he stood calmly on the other side of the desk. "How did you manage to escape?" she asked curious taking another drag.

"Slipped through one of the barricades and headed toward Newark. Couldn't stand to be there anymore after everything I lost. One trip lead to another until I wound up here." he lied smoothly, "As for the details...we're all entitled to our secrets. And I'm sorry, ma'am, but I don't completely trust you and yours just yet. Maybe someday soon."

Balalaika smirked, "Wise decision. And no need to apologise. Any self-respecting individual in our line of work would do the same. Knowledge is the ultimate form of power, after all. Better to keep some things close to the chest. But just remember that I never give second chances to those that betray us or our trust"

Sean nodded seriously as she opened a drawer and pulled out a small envelope. "Now, on to the job I called the two of you here for." she said tossing the small parcel on the desk top. "It seems one of the clubs in the downtown area haven't been keeping up with certain payment arrangements we agreed upon. I need this delivered to Xander Koe, the owner, and collect the money that he owes us."

"Really, sis? That's all?" asked Revy incrudensiously. "We're not fucking mailmen."

"I'm aware, though I know for a fact that business is a little slow for you all right now. And this is an important matter." said Balalaika. "Xander isn't known for his tact, and can be a bit volatile, which is why I asked for the two of you to handle this. You can get the money from him in anyway you see fit."

This got a grin from the gunslinger as Sean picked up the envelope and slipped it into the inside pocket of his vest. "We'll get it done." he said as they turned and headed for the door."

"And Sean," he stopped at the door and looked back to see the woman giving him a look that reminded him of the dozens of other military officials that tried to see into his head. "Dutch has told me many good things about you. I look forward to seeing how you operate."

The Evolved nodded before closing the door behind him. "He's hiding something, Kapitan." said Boris a second or two later.

"That he is." said Balalaika taking another drag on her cigar. "We may not know what it is, but certain things never stay in the dark for long. Regardless, I believe that we can expect great things from this one."

X

The GTO rumbled down the road, heading into the downtown district of the city. The normally dingy and dangerous streets giving away to even more rundown passages filled with a few homeless, sleeping drunks and very cheap hookers on various corners.

Sean's eyes scanned everywhere, taking note of possible threats instinctual while Revy sat in the passenger seat with her feet on the dash without a care in the world. It didn't take them very long to locate the club Balalaika told them about, parking the car out front and shutting it off before heading toward the entrance.

"Expecting trouble?" asked the Evolved when he saw Revy click off the safeties of her Cutlass' while they were still in their holsters.

"Always." she said spitting out her spent cigarette as they headed toward the door and entered the building. The heat and sunlight giving away to the dark, humid interior. The smell of cheap booze, sweat and sex hitting their noses along with horrible mood music in their ears.

The first floor was circular in shape with a long runway with a pole in the center where a stripper was already at work for the crowd of men around it. Several others could be seen either dancing on table tops in a few booths or serving drinks from the bar on the far right.

In the back corner was a large staircase that led up to the second level where some of the working girls would take clients for 'extra attention' if a few of the girls with men on their arms already heading up were any indication. There were also a handful of security guards with pistols on full display surrounding the floor with one on either side of the staircase.

The duo headed to the bar first, waiting for the bartender to finish with a customer before coming their way. "What do ya need?" he asked grabbing a dirty glass and cleaning it."

"Here to see Xander, Balalaika sent us." said Sean while Revy leaned against the bar watching their backs. The bartender sent them a look, trying to read them before motioning to one of the security guards to come over, whispering something in his ear making the other man nod and disappear.

Still standing at the bar, the Evolved scanned the main floor again. His old instincts telling him to keep all possible hostiles in sight at all times. He wasn't kidding when he told Balalaika that this place kept him on his toes. It may not have been as chaotic as Manhattan had been, but the possibility of threats around almost every corner was very real.

"What do you think?" asked Revy, low enough for only him to hear but loud enough to be heard over the music.

"Given that every security guard is now zeroed in on us. This could end badly," he replied looking each guard in the eye before turning back to her. "For them, anyway." The female gunslinger grinned widely as the first security guard that had left approached them.

"With me, Xander's waiting." he said gruffly before leading them across the floor and up the stairs. A few men glancing at Revy's ass and whistling at her getting a middle finger shot at them from over her shoulder as they went to the second level.

The music became dulled, but the sounds of moans and screams of ecstasy could be heard clearly through the closed doors that lined the walls on either sides of them. The smell of sweat and sex intensifying as they followed the lone guard down the hall and around a corner where two guards stood against both walls next to a door at the end.

"Through there." said the guard standing aside and letting them pass. "Don't cause any trouble, or we'll plug you." Neither of them responded as they headed to the door, one of the guards reaching out and opening it while keeping their weapons in hand as they entered a small office that was about as dim and dingy as they rest of the place.

All that was there was a worn out couch against the side wall, a desk at the head with one chair behind it and two infront of it along with a couple of lit lamps and a filing cabinet. A painting of a naked woman stood against the wall behind the desk.

Two more guards were inside, one in one of the chairs before the desk, the other on the couch. Both keeping their eyes on the duo as they faced the one at the front of the room.

Xander Koe stood with his back to them admiring the painting with a lecherous grin. He was tan, wearing a purple business suit with a few rings on his fingers. His brown hair was slicked back and tied in a rat-tail. He turned to address his guests, a pair of aviators over his eyes even while inside with a long scar on his right cheek that went from his jaw to his hairline.

"So, I hear that fry-face sent you." he said with a bit of an Australian accent. He removed his sunglasses and shamelessly looked Revy up and down. "And she sent a nice specimen. You here for a job hunny?" he asked with his grin widening.

Revy gritted her teeth, hands shaking wanting to go to her weapons but Sean stepped in front to avoid possible bloodshed. "We're here for the money you owe her." he stated while taking out the envelope they had been handed and tossing it on to the desk.

The club owner picked it up and opened it. Reading the contents before he started laughing. "She's smoking high-grade shit if she thinks I'm paying this!" he said tearing the paper in half and tossing it to the floor. "The fuckin' Ruuskies think that we owe them anything? Fuck that. We aren't on their beck and call anymore. You go back and tell that bitch that we're done doing business, we got a better offer."

Sean crossed his arms and leaned back, "Sorry to burst your bubble, but we're not here to deliver a message." He saw the other two men in the room stand up and put hands to their weapons. "We're here to collect, and I think it's in you and your..._business'_ best interest to comply."

Xander chuckled, "Nice words kid, but you and that hottie with you have no idea what your up against. You try to start shit, you'll be dead before you even make it back to the ground floor." He's smirk started to fade when Revy drew both her Cutlass', a sadistic grin spreading on her face as she was waiting for the bullets to start flying.

"We're not a patient pair, Xander." said the Evolved as he cracked his knuckles. "And I'm afraid that you and your little goon-squad don't know who your messing with. You think Balalaika would send just anyone to collect what rightfully belongs to Hotel Moscow?"

The cold look in Sean's eyes had sweat starting to drip down the club owner's face. Even though he tried to keep a calm expression as he put his hands on the desk, subtly reaching for the .45 that he kept under a stack of papers out of sight. "I'm not paying shit." he hissed at them. "Now get the fuck out."

"Not a chance." said Revy lifting her weapons. The guards took out their guns, the one on the couch that was hefting a sawed-off shotgun was stopped when Sean grabbed his arm and punched upward breaking it at the elbow. Taking his weapon before silencing his scream of pain with an elbow that sent his head cracking against the wall.

The other guard went to shoot when a 9mm round drilled through his head from Revy. The door burst open and the security outside came in weapons ready, but Sean spun around raising the sawed-off in one hand and fired. Bursts of blood blowing out of their chests as 12-gauge shells punched through them and sending their bodies hurling back and crashing on to the carpet outside.

Xander grabbed his gun and aimed for them, but Revy was faster. Putting a round through his shoulder and a second through his thigh. Dropping his gun and falling into his chair, the club owner cried out in pain as he tried to stop the flow of blood. Stopping when he felt the barrel of the gunslingers' Cutlass pressed to his forehead.

"Pay up asshole!" she demanded. Sean tossing the spent shotgun to the floor and picking up the Glock the other man in the room had dropped as he came to stand by her.

"F-Fuck!" he hissed as blood seeped between the fingers on both hands. "B-Behind the painting...shit!"

The Evolved moved past him and tore the painting from the wall where a small safe sat within it. Turning to the club owner he smiled, "Thank you, for your cooperation." he pistol-whiped him in the back of the head, knocking him out cold before going back to the safe. Grabbing it with his free hand and using his enhanced strength to tear the door of the small vault clean off.

Tossing the chunk of metal to the floor with a thud, he looked upon the multiple stacks of 100s sitting within. "Bingo." he said concentrating and forming a black messenger bag that hung across his chest laying against his right side. Grabbing the stacks of bills and stuffing them inside while Revy came up beside him.

"Damn, anything that bio-mass shit can't do?" she asked helping to load of the money.

"Haven't found out yet. Though I have yet to find the downsides." he replied as they finished. Closing the bag when they were done and preparing to leave. Sean paused a moment when he saw a few papers at the bottom of the safe, turning to see Revy heading to the door, he picked them up and read over them quickly.

_"Shipping manifests..."_ he thought while going through the contents. By the time he was done his blood boiled. "Hay petri-dish! Lets go!" his partner called from the doorway snapping him out of it.

Laying the papers back where he found them he followed her out of the club and back to the car. His thoughts turning in various directions as he began planning, Revy completely unaware of what was going on inside his head as they pulled away and headed back to deliver the goods to Hotel Moscow.

X

The rest of the day went well when they returned to the Lagoon Company office. Sean and Revy had gathered more than enough and Balalaika gave them the extra as payment. A solid $15,000 which was a nice slice for a simple job.

Dutch and Benny were cut in and the share was divided four ways. Each of them getting $4,250 which still wasn't too bad. And Balalaika said something about another job coming up in a few days and they'd keep them posted on it.

At that moment, Dutch, Benny and Revy were all gathered in the office. Preparing to turn in for the night when they noticed that Sean was missing. "Anyone seen our resident killing machine?" asked Benny grabbing a water from the fridge.

"Said something about going out for fresh air. He's been acting weird since we got back from that club." said Revy lounging on the couch.

"Weird how?" asked Dutch.

The gunslinger shrugged, "Dunno. Quiet. Asked him to pull his head out of his ass more than once cuz it looked like he wasn't paying attention. Fucked up thing was that he was focused on everything at the same time. I can't explain it."

"Maybe he's got something on his mind?" offered Benny. "This place may not be as bad as he's used to, but it probably brings back bad thoughts."

"Wouldn't wish those on anybody." added Dutch. "I've seen combat, but that shit? Surprised he isn't completely mental, add in the fact he's got the memories of all the bastards he's consumed running around inside his head must mean he's one tough sonovabitch. Guess he's got a strong will to go with those abilities of his."

Revy was silent, turning her hazel eyes to look out the window at the night sky wondering where the Evolved had gone and what he was up to at that moment.

X

The darkness was the perfect cover. No one in the downtown area took notice of anything out of the ordinary as a shadow moved quickly from the rooftops above toward the docks on the outer edge of the district.

For his part, Sean remained in a state of hyper-focus while he sprinted and glided along above the street. Bio-mass coursing through his system enhancing his speed and strength as he pushed himself harder to reach his destination.

The shipping manifests that he had found in Xander's safe pointed to an illegal shipment that was coming into an unmarked warehouse from Thailand in another hour. Normally such a think in Roanapur wasn't uncommon, but it was the contents of said shipment that put him in a state that he hadn't been in, in a while. And all of this was happening without Balalaika or her organization knowing about it on their territory.

His inner hunter had woken up. And he was definitely on the hunt tonight.

Reaching the edge of the last rooftop of the street he was on, Sean leapt into the air and began gliding a longer distance. Dropping down at the end of his small flight and landing on the rooftop of a warehouse that was three down from the location mentioned in the manifest. He crouched low, blending in with the shadows as he watched a the handful of armed men that were mingling around.

They were armed with assault rifles and shotguns, meaning whatever was coming was something that they didn't want people knowing about. The Evolved sat there, observing the group as they stood guard for the next hour, eyes flickering between each one watching their movements and taking in the multiple vantage points in the area.

An approaching boat made his focus snap into that of a sniper. A small shipping freighter that had several large crates sitting on the deck. Sean's eyes began to glow red, his vision going into thermal as he picked up a cluster of more gunmen with what was being transported. They were right on time.

At the same time, a black sedan pulled through the passage between the warehouses just as the boat docked. The doors opened allowing one Xander Koe, arm in a cast and leg wrapped from his encounter with Sean and Revy earlier. Three bodyguards stepped out and stood around their boss as he limped toward the dock while the thugs standing around snapped to attention.

"The fuck happened to you?" asked one of the deck hands stepped down the gangplank and standing before him.

"A pair of two bit fucking delivery boys robbed me earlier for that fry-face cunt." snapped Xander favoring his bad side. "Do you have the shipment?"

The deckhand grinned a crooked smile, "Right on schedule, no trouble what so ever. Need a sample?" the club owner nodded as they went up on to the deck of the cargo ship. Sean took that time to leap over to the next warehouse, and then to the next so that he was right above them.

One of the gunmen hung back close to a darkened passage by the structure, a cigarette puffing in his mouth as he half-assed his job while standing there. The Evolved moved so that he was on that side of the warehouse and dropped down, behind them. Bending his knees to cushion the fall and make as little noise as possible.

Staying low, he snuck up behind the gunman who was still clueless and grabbed him from behind. Hand clasped over his mouth with his cigarette falling to the ground as he pulled the struggling man into the shadows. A quick twist of the hand and his neck was broken easily, tendrils snapping out and consuming him as Sean's form changed into that of the gunman.

Picking up the dropped assault rifle, he stepped back out into the light now under the guise of the gunman and approached the docks with no one any wiser. It was this time, the men aboard the ship opened one of the crates to allow Xander to examine the contents. On of the other deckhands reached in...and pulled out a 14 year old Taiwanese girl who looked scared out of her mind.

"Nice, very nice." said Xander grabbing the girl's face and turning it from side to side. "And the rest?"

"All healthy and in one piece." said the deckhand closing the crate on the other girls inside. "Now, are we going to do business? Our employer already told us the price you agreed upon." The club owner leaned away from the terrified girl who shrunk away and huddled on the ground beside the crate as one of the bodyguards handed over a suitcase full of bills to the deck hand.

Sean growled deep in his throat, his disguise rippling slightly but he managed to maintain it as he leered at each of the men around him. All of them wearing lecherous grins as they looked at the young girl on the boat. "Hay." he turned and saw one of the gunmen stand beside him, "Maybe we'll be lucky and the boss will let us 'sample' some of the goods as a bonus, huh?"

The Evolved saw red. But kept a fake grin on his face as he answered, "Maybe, but I don't think we'll get the chance..." without warning he raised the rifle and shot the man in the head. Blood and grey matter spraying through the air as his body collapsed to the ground.

Everyone else had their weapons up while Sean dropped his disguise and converted to his base-form. Adding in a hood to cover his head and face as he shifted his arms into their claw-form and went on the attack. The gunmen, who were shocked by the sudden change, snapped out of it the moment one of their own was cut down before he could fire a shot.

All of them opening fire on the Evolved how moved around the barrage of bullets, leaping through the air at another thug and tearing through him, painting the ground with his blood before going after the next.

Right arm changing into a whipfist, he launched the appendage through the air and speared another gunman through the chest. "Get over here!" he roared yanking the man in his direction, putting his fist through the man's guts and consuming him as rounds peppered his back.

The rest of the thugs decided to regroup and attempt to take Sean on as a group, this proved to be their downfall as he formed his blade-arm and bull rushed them. Slashing the deadly weapon in the air and cleaving them in half, shearing through tissue, bone and even metal when they attempted to block with their weapons as they fell to the ground like a grotesque jigsaw puzzle.

After consuming the remains, Sean turned toward the ship and jumped. Landing on the bow as the deck hands aimed their guns at him. Some shaking after witnessing what he had done to the men down on the docks. Their eyes looking down at the massive blade that was his arm that was still stained with the blood of those he had killed.

"I don't know who the fuck you think you are." said Xander limping forward, the 14 year old in his grip with a pistol aimed at her head. "But you picked the wrong night, freak." Despite his bravado, the Evolved could see the terror in his eyes after witnessing the slaughter of his guards. "Perhaps we could reach an agreement?" he offered.

"We didn't sign up for this, Koe!" said the deckhand who was handling the deal. A shotgun in his hand kept centered on the Evolved's chest.

Sean kept his gaze on Xander, eyes burning red beneath his hood as he raised his blade-arm. Tendrils covering the limb and shifting it back to his whipfist. The club owner paled, pressing the barrel of his gun to the girl's temple harder making her whimper.

Though if she was afraid of the gun or Sean was hard to tell.

"D-Don't do anything stupid," Xander said with his voice quivering. "Unless you want this little bitch's-" the bladed tendril launched forward, piercing through his hand and severing it at the wrist.

Both the club owner and the girl screamed as the hand, still gripping the unfired pistol, fell to the ground. Blood spraying through the air as Xander tried in vain to stop his stump from gushing as the armed men around him opened fire.

Sean snapped up his other arm, forming a large shield that stopped the rounds cold. Waiting for them to reload, he lashed his whipfist in a wide arc. Thankful that the girl had dropped to a fetal position behind the crate as the bladed tendril slashed through the men in its path. None of them standing a chance as they fell dead.

One of the surviving deck hands laid on the ground trying to reach for his dropped weapon, attempting to stop the flow of crimson from dripping from the gash in his chest. The Evolved stepped on his hand, forming his arm into an axe and bringing it down on his head ending his life and being sure to do the same to the others that were still moving.

Whimpering drew his attention, turning his burning-red gaze as he watched Xander attempting to crawl his way down the gangplank. A streak of red being left in his wake as he dragged himself. "Y-You're not human!" he exclaimed as he managed to reach the dock, Sean slowly following behind.

Grabbing the club owner by the foot, he dragged him back and held him upside-down with his strength. Xander's complexion very pale with an expression of unbridled terror as he looked into the Evolved's eyes. "C-Can't we...work this out?!" Sean silently shook his head as he brought his axe-arm to bare.

"WAIT!" the man screamed. "T-Take the girls! Use them however you want! Just let me live!"

The Evolved paused, his eyes glowing even brighter to the point that they looked like small portals into Hell. His form rippling with his rage as he tossed the man to the ground, planting a foot in his chest to keep him there. His arm changing back into his blade.

"P-PLEASE! Have some fucking mercy!" Xander screamed.

Sean leaned down, blade at his side, "Men like you." he hissed quietly. "Will get none from me." The man barely had a second to scream again as the blade came down, cleaving him in half from head to crotch with the two halves falling on either side of the dock and into the water.

Taking several deep breaths to calm himself, the Evolved shifted his arms back to normal before making his way back on the ship. Cleaning up the bodies via consumption before turning to the huddled from that was cowering behind the crate.

She looked up and scuttled back, her eyes reflecting fear as she kept distance from him.

Desiding to avoid scaring her more, he just gave her a soft smile before turning to the crate. Grabbing the lock and breaking it in his grasp before opening it up to reveal roughly a dozen other girls all ranging from ages 9 to 15.

The familiar feel of his blood burning reared its head at what these assholes were planning to do with them. He held no sympathy for their fate, and he was glad to have dealt it out. _("It's okay, your safe now.")_ he spoke in perfect Taiwanese thanks to his latest consumptions.

The girls all looked at him as he smiled, _(Police will come soon. Stay here out of sight until they do.")_ He backed away from the door, sending one last sympathetic look to the scared girl off to the side before bending low and leaping into the air. Gliding away when he reached the peak of the jump and putting the docks behind him.

Touching down two streets over before picking up a payphone and calling the police precinct. Even though such an action was rare in this city, he knew that the cops would respond to a blood bath.

Especially when he left that big of one on Hotel Moscow's turf.

X

Balalaika was in a foul mood. Receiving a phone call earlier that morning about a massacre that happened at the docks in the downtown district didn't really phase her, but when she was told that the people involved were transporting slaves without her or her men knowing about she contacted Boris and a few of her followers and went down to learn about the situation.

Arriving at the docks where the police already had the place sealed off, she stepped out of her car with Boris and approached the line of tape where Chief Watsup was already waiting for her.

"Balalaika." he said nodding. "It's a damn mess out here. Had a couple guys go home sick when they saw everything."

"What's the body count?" asked Balalaika as he led them across the police line and on to the docks where several officers were standing guard.

Watsup scratched his neck, "That's the thing...there isn't one." They stopped and observed what could have only been described as a true blood bath. Buckets upon buckets worth of dried blood were caked on almost every surface. The ground, the sides of crates and even the walls of the surrounding warehouses. But just like the chief had said, there wasn't a single body to be found.

Boris knelt down and examined the nearest puddle that was still wet. "Only a few hours old." he observed before looking at the damaged weapons and shell casing scattered everywhere. "I looks like a battle took place here. Whoever did it was thorough."

"Very." agreed the Russian leader as she looked at a discarded AK-47 that had been cut in half. The slice looking clean, most likely from a very sharp blade. "Was there any evidence to point to who was killed and who was behind it?"

Watsup nodded, "Evidentially this was the work of Xander Koe and his men. They were offloading a bunch of underage girls an associate of theirs was delivering from Thailand when it happened. As for who carried out the hit, there's nothing to go on. Whoever hit this place knew what they were doing and how to clean up."

"What about witnesses?" asked Balalaika. The chief blew out a slow breath.

"Only one, a 14 year old girl who was one of the slaves saw everything go down. Said it was done by one guy."

This caught the attention of both Russians. "One man did all of this?" asked Balalaika motioning to the environment. "What did she see?"

"She said it was fast. One of the men attacked another before he..._changed._" Watsup looked sceptical as he said the words. "She said that he could morph his form, his arms becoming deadly blades that took these guys apart piece by piece before _eating_ them."

He removed his sunglasses and looked the Russian woman in the eye, "She kept blubbering that it wasn't a man...but some kind of _Demon_. Saying that his eyes glowed like fire in the darkness, and he moved like the shadows themselves."

Balalaika thought over what the chief had told them, she didn't believe in demons. And the words of a traumatized girl was hardly convincing. But something happened here, and the lack of evidence was a bit disconcerting. Only people with extensive skill could carry out a hit like this and leave little to nothing in their wake.

Even though the one that carried it out had inadvertently helped Hotel Moscow with a loose end that they were intending on dealing with, after recent events, didn't take away the obvious facts. Whoever had done this, knew what they were doing and had the means to back it up. And now that they made themselves known, she had to wonder who it was and what their motives were in her territory.

"Watsup, I want you to keep me informed if there are any more incidents like this one. If there's a new player in town, I want to know about them as soon as possible." she said as she and Boris began to leave.

The chief nodded, "I'll do that." he replied while he went back to work.

Getting back in her car, Balalaika took out a cigar and lit it. Taking a long, relaxing drag as she thought about the events of the day thus far. "Sargeant, contact our various informants. I want to know if they've seen or heard anything about this so called 'Demon'."

"Roger, Kaptian." replied Boris as he drove them back to their headquarters. "Should we expect trouble from this individual?"

"I don't know. But better to be safe." She took another drag. "But I have a feeling that this is just the beginning."

**A/N: Just the beginning indeed. Update coming soon!**


	6. One's Moral Compass

**A/N: Winter's finally here...and it's too damn cold to go outside. The only thing I got going for me is to stay inside, entertain my daughter and write out these chapters. So it's not all bad I guess.**

**It took me a while to write this one out, since there isn't a whole lot of action and mostly dialogue. Not to mention this particular episode of the anime had a lot of deep stuff in which causes a lot of people watching to question their moral compass, hence the name of the chapter. **

**There are a few small changes, and Revy won't be the only one getting verbal shots in.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

Another missile struck the water, the blast sending salt water shooting into the air like a geyser as the PT boat shot across the surface at high speeds. Narrowly missing two others that hit the surf on either side.

On the outer deck, Benny held on for dear life while Dutch kept the engine punched to get out of range of the TOW barrage that was currently baring down on them.

One final missile was about to reach its target when it suddenly dropped off and detonated under water. The Lagoon having finally reached the outside of their range. At the helm, Dutch breathed in relief as a slightly drenched Benny came up behind him. "Well? Are we out of the missiles' range?"

"Seems like it." replied the Captain as they began treading water along the 'safe-zone'. In the distance, a much larger ship sat idle, both sides keeping a close eye on one another. "We're at a safe distance. Damn them. We'll have to stay here and observe for the time being."

Benny ran a hand through his hair, "You think Revy and Sean are having better luck than us?"

"One can hope, Benny-boy." said Dutch leaning back in his seat.

X

On the ocean floor, the wreck of a German U-Boat from WWII laid entrapped within the reef. Inside, the rusted, decaying halls of the ship remained in a state of still silence. Nothing disturbed in decades within the dank, darkness.

A loud bang suddenly echoed through the ship's hull. A second one following with a third right behind. The hatch that led out into the open ocean warped inward from something slamming the outside with powerful strength, the dense metal barely holding together before it finally blew off the rusted hinges.

Water rushed in quickly, along with two bodies decked out in scuba gear that quickly changed course and went farther into the ship. Sealing the way behind them with another hatch door they came across leaving them in shin-deep water.

"What the fuck?! I had it!" Revy shouted while pulling off her mask and breather.

Sean did the same with the full head gear that was connected to the rest of the suit, and shook the water off of himself, "You took too long, so I improvised." He rolled his shoulders not used to the feel of actual layers on his form. Since Blacklight couldn't thrive too well underwater he was forced to wear a scuba suit for this job. Yet even though it offered him protection, the virus within him was reeling at being so deep within the ocean.

Throwing up a middle finger at him, Revy began removing her diving equipment and setting it off to the side, leaving only the specialized assault rifle she carried that was designed to fire under water. Sean did the same, pulling out the Glock he had holstered on his right thigh that was made to the same specifications as they traveled farther into the U-Boat.

Clicking on their flashlights, they began scanning every corner before them in search of what they were here for. Finding the skeleton bodies of the crew that had once served on the vessel laying where they had fallen in their final moments.

The ship was nothing more than a graveyard now, filled with bones and the smell of decay as the duo walked past the corpses.

"I never liked these kinds of places." Revy said kicking a nearby skull down a hallway. "It smells like something's rotten. Staying too long will affect our..._my_ lungs." she amended herself realizing that her partner was immune to the effects the corpses gave off.

"We'll just find that painting and bail out. Easy." said the Evolved as they continued. He looked over the bodies and shook his head, wondering what it must have been like for them in their last moments as the lights went out and the air was used up. He may detest when the Nazis had done back then, but no one deserved to die like that.

"Hay, over here." Revy called out looking into a room that resembled a barracks. Four bodies laid on the floor, each grasping a weapon with rusted shell casings scattered around them. "Looks like they had their own gunfight at the OK Corral right here."

Sean knelt down and examined one of the bodies, a bullet hole through the center of his skull. "Cabin fever." he stated simply. "One of them must have cracked under the pressure and went postal." he moved over the body slumped against the wall at the head of the room, more shell casings surrounding him. "This one here, he started it."

His flashlight caught something on the skeleton's shoulder. Rubbing his thumb over the shoulder pad, he saw the markings of the man's rank and position. "SS." he muttered. "He wasn't part of the crew. Guess he really was desperate at the end."

"The Ahab guy over here looks like the Captain." said the gunslinger picking up the old, dirty hat from the floor. "Think his Iron Cross is lying around somewhere? It could be worth something."

The Evolved rolled his eyes before beginning his own search for the painting they were after. Finding it underneath the body covered in a sheet of dirt. "Found it." he called over his shoulder, Revy coming over as he wiped his hand over the surface of the glass frame and revealing the artwork. "Matches the image on the file that we got."

"Alright! Wrap that up, I'll go get the rest." said Revy heading out of the room.

"The rest?" asked Sean putting the painting in the protective, pressurized carrying case they came down with. "This is all we came for, what the hell else is there?" but she had already heading out.

"If we don't grab everything that's worth some money, it's a wasted trip." she called back. "The Captain had an Iron Cross with a sword. It's a valuable piece with a diamond on it. It's a little too valuable to leave behind as fish food."

Shaking his head, the Evolved sat on the floor beside one of the bodies, pulling out a pack of cigarettes and his zippo lighter. He couldn't leave without his partner, so for now he had to sit and wait for whatever bullshit she was doing to be done.

Lighting up the cancer stick and taking a long pull on it, he checked the watch he had built into the diving suit. _"I'll give her fifteen minutes. What the hell is she thinking anyway?"_ he thought blowing out a cloud of smoke. He reached down and picked up a rusted Lugar pistol that was beside the body on his right. Examining the weapon with close eyes as he held it in his hands.

His grandfather had told him stories about the war, what it was like fighting the Nazi regime and the weapons that they carried. The Lugar was said to only be carried by officers, those that rose through the ranks to earn the right to carry it. The American soldiers that fought would try to collect them off of the officers they killed as a badge of honor, since they were so unique.

Sean's grandfather had been one of the lucky ones. He had killed an SS officer in a conflict and collected the man's Lugar, wanting to keep it as a memento for what he was fighting for when he went back home...But he lost it the same time he lost his leg, storming the beaches at Normandy. He had always said that the silver lining of it all was that he could go home to the states and start his life away from the fighting.

Thoughts drifting toward his partner and how they were wasting time just sitting down here looking for sunken treasure, the Evolved leaned back and stared at the ceiling. He was starting to feel anxious. Water couldn't hurt him, but he was at a severe disadvantage at the moment and it bothered him."

"Wonder what Dutch and Benny are up to?"

X

Back on the surface, Dutch and Benny were keeping a close eye on the ship that had been firing at them. "What's the distance, Benny-boy?" asked the Captain as they kept watch.

"5,200 yards, last I checked." replied the blonde. "What a dangerous bunch. They're maniacs."

"And well equipped, since they launched three TOW missiles at us at once." added Dutch.

Benny looked through his binoculars again, "They're directly above the U-Boat." he said sounding tense.

"Nothing we can do about it." the two of them got comfortable as they kept watch. The sound of matching music began to echo across the water.

"Hey, Dutch. Looks like they're holding a concert over there." said Benny. "Some kind of distasteful marching song."

"I can hear it." said Dutch as he lounged on the deck with his back against the wall Benny was leaning on. "You have a worthless guy live it up by raising his useless self on to a podium, and you end up with a march-loving idiot. It's a common theme you can find anywhere." He looked up at his friend and co-worker. "What do you think, as a white man?"

"That kind of shit doesn't work with me. Besides, I'm Jewish. 'Fuck the Nazis' was a family credo." said Benny smirking.

Dutch chuckled as he stood, "Oh, right. Forgot about that." he looked out over the ocean. "Have they turned their beacons on yet?"

"They're both still in the submarine, the last I checked." said the blonde. "Unfortunately, there's nothing we can do but pick at each other's politics. I'm not really worried about the job, just the time."

"Yeah, that could be a problem. If we had the time to retrieve it, I'd take the whole sub back to port. That way, I could show those parading idiots on that piece of shit ship what their Führer went through." said Dutch.

"Same here." Benny tensed, "Hey, those guys are up to something." the Captain grabbed up his binoculars and looked through them. "They're lowering a pod. At this rate they're gonna face each other in the submarine. What are we going to do Dutch?"

Dutch breathed out a cloud of smoke, "There's nothing we can do. They still have TOWs. It bothers the hell out of me, but we'll have to wait for our chance like a snake. I just hope they're ready to have visitors down there."

"You think Sean will be able to fight? He said that he couldn't use his powers too well in water." wondered Benny.

"Guess we'll find out."

X

Back in the U-Boat, Sean's cigarette had just reached the filter. Fifteen minutes finally coming to an end as he stamped the cig out and stood. "Times up." he muttered just as a light shined through the doorway.

"Phew. Big catch, big catch." said Revy grinning as she came in with a small sack in her hand that gave metallic clinking noises as it moved. "I found everything from the Iron Crosses to stuff maniacs will drool over, a treasure mountain worthy of a grave robber's dreams."

"Glad to hear it, now that you're done robbing the dead let's go." he said tossing the Lugar to the floor and making for the exit.

The gunslinger snorted, "What's the rush? Jobs all done."

Sean turned to her, "The job isn't done until the package makes it to the client. And the longer we stay here the more likely we are to run into trouble, and personally I'd rather not be in a rusted tin can at the bottom of the ocean when shit hits the fan. Wasting time taking shit that don't belong to us isn't the best way to get things done either."

"You're not going to go into a speech about that whole, 'thou shall not steal' bullshit are you? And here I thought you were some badass super-freak." she replied while crossing her arms. "Where's that guy who chops people up for the thrills?"

"You honestly think that, don't you?" he asked now turning serious. "You think that it's all fun and games for me? Doing what I do? Being what I am? You don't have a goddamn clue, then again, I wouldn't expect someone like you to understand."

Revy's shoulders tensed, "What the fuck is that supposed to mean?"

"You don't have a damn right to assume anything about me, when you spend your time robbing corpses of their honor." the Evolved fired back. "I may not have love for the Nazis or what they did, but they were still men who fought and died for what they believed in. They left families behind to do what they did and died for it, we have no right to strip them of what they earned. I was a soldier myself once, and I'd be pretty pissed if someone stripped my medals from my corpse for the sake of their own greed."

The duo glared at one another for a few beats, a stand-off of wills and morals. Revy took out her own cigarette and lit it. "If we're going down this path, then what right do you have to judge me?" she asked looking him in the eye. "Let me let you in on a little something, Sean. Everything you see around us here? The bones, the medals, hell even the sub itself, they're just things. When you strip away their meanings, that's all they are. And in the end, they only have one thing in common...Money."

"That's true." said the Evolved nodding. "But only if others allow that meaning to be taken away."

He sat on one of the bunks and kept his gaze locked with hers. "I'm no saint, Revy. I've killed more people than I can care to admit. Some of them I consumed to learn their secrets and what was being planned. But I didn't do it for money or power like some people might be led to believe. I did it for survival. Staying one step ahead of the enemy so that I didn't become a lab experiment where those fat bastards at Gentek would collect a big fat paycheck for what they ripped from my corpse."

"Some people say that money is everything, that it gives people power which is greater than anything on Earth. You wanna know what I think?" Sean clenched his fists. "Money and power are the roots of all evil. They corrupt and change people into something truly monstrous. The need for it so great that some will kill, steal, and even destroy to attain it. Yet at the same time, people can't live in this world without it. A vicious cycle that never ends."

"Is that what you really put value on?" asked Revy, her voice sounding hollow. "That there's something out there that has greater meaning?" she took a drag on her smoke, "God? Love? Don't make me laugh. Anywhere you go, both of them are always out of stock. Back in the day, before I knew better, I clung to and cried for God. And I did believe in him...right up to the day cops beat the hell outta me for something I didn't do. All because I lived in a poor neighborhood. With no power and no God, what could a Chinese bitch rely on?"

She held up one of the medals she had pilfered, "Its money. And guns. The only two things that make the world a great place. So the moral of the story is that when you're living on the edge, that's all that matters."

Sean narrowed his eyes at her, "Bullshit." the word alone making her freeze. He relaxed himself and breathed, "I never put faith in such things, materialistic things, I always had a stronger belief in something else. Something that kept me from losing what humanity that hadn't been stripped from me already. When you give up that part of yourself, even when the world is beating you into the ground, you may as well be dead."

He stood up and looked down at her with the same expression she was giving him. "When things were at their darkest in New York. The infection, Blackwatch, Gentek...Mercer. There was something that I held on to with everything I had to remind me of who I was. Even after everything I cherished had been taken me, and there was little purpose I had left in the world. That one thing kept me from losing myself, no matter how small it was."

"That's why the moral of your story is bullshit." he continued. "Your life was hell, that much is easy to figure and I can deeply sympathize. But giving up and turning into something that has no real meaning isn't a moral, it's an excuse. Despite what you had been through, you still had choices open to you, Revy...I didn't."

Their conversation came to a halt when the U-Boat suddenly started shaking. The duo looked up as water and dust fell from the ceiling above. Both of them taking up weapons as they heard the hatch in the large room outside the barracks creak and begin to turn. "Company." said Sean chambering a round in the Glock.

The hatch opened letting in a small gush of water before it was sealed off, a moment later footsteps could be heard coming down the old metal ladder. "All our gear and the only way out is on the other side." said Revy pulling the bolt handle on her rifle as quietly as she could, a grin on her face for a coming fight.

More footsteps could be heard coming down, booted feet splashing lightly on the puddles of water on the floor. The duo sat silently and listened, counting in their heads the number of hostiles that had just entered the sub.

_"One...Two...Three...Four...Four on the ground, one still coming down the ladder. All of them lightly armed"_ Sean thought, leaning out just enough to see the men that came down all looking around the interior, each one of them dressed in tan colored uniforms with a band around the arms baring an odd symbol. _"Fucking Neo-Nazis."_ he internally growled with his eyes flashing.

"We need to plan this out, it's tight quarters in here and there could be the threat of our rounds richocheting." he whispered to his partner.

"I already got a plan." said Revy leaning out of cover. "Kill them all!" Without warning she opened fire, the last man still on the ladder fell to the floor dead before he knew what was happening, another that turned in their direction was taken down in the same fashion while the remaining three ducked into cover.

Cursing under his breath at her rashness, the Evolved aimed his sidearm and fired at the Neo-Nazis as they returned fire at them. The painting within the case in his other hand as the sounds of gunfire bounced off the walls around them. "I'm going for the air, cover me!" he shouted deciding to just roll with the situation as be broke from cover, shooting his weapon to keep the hostiles out of the way.

In this scenario, he couldn't use his powers for two reasons. The first was that they were in a pressurized environment with enough water pressing down on the outside to crush them all if the hull was breached by one of his blades. The other is the fact that he couldn't run the risk of damaging his dive suit making it harder for him when they managed to leave. Therefore, he had to rely on his old skills as a marine to get through this one.

Glock running empty, he dropped the clip and reached for another when a stray round struck his hand. The bullet going straight through and causing him to drop the case that held the painting as he dove into cover, "Fuck!" he cursed as he reloaded and began shooting again. One of the Nazis managing to grab the case and run toward the ladder before Revy gunned him down before he reached it.

One of the two remaining men picked it up, opening the case and gasping. "It's Brunhilda, we got it! Cover me. I'm off!" he shouted before making for the ladder. Sean leaned out and fired his way, but a hail of rounds forced him back before he could get a bead on him. Revy began spraying rounds everywhere and only managed to hit the guys leg as he moved up.

"They got the painting!" The Evolved called out.

"They're not getting away that easily!" Revy shouted back before pulling out a grenade from her belt and pulling the pin with her teeth. She tossed the explosive into the room, the following blast killing the remaining soldiers, but the one that had the painting managed to get through the hatch before the explosion and take off.

With their transport detached, water began to gush into the U-boat and flooding the interior. "Dammit, we need to get our gear and get out!" Sean said as they began wading through the now waist-deep water toward where they had left their supplies. The Evolved pulling out a roll of special tape to help seal the holes that had been punched through his left glove before pulling on his full head mask and breather.

X

Back on the Lagoon, Benny and Dutch sat in the computer room with their eyes glued on to the monitor as they waited for the other two to activate their tracking beacons. After what felt like hours, two blips appeared on screen.

"Their beacons are finally on!" he said getting the bigger man's attention.

"Where are they?" asked Dutch.

"Directly above the submarine." said Benny as they watched the two heading farther up in the water.

Dutch leaned over the blonde's shoulder, "What are they doing? Where are they going?" he asked seeing them going up instead of back toward the boat.

"Their position isn't changing." Benny reported. "They're going straight up. Toward the Nazi mothership."

The Captain rubbed his eyes. "She can't be planning to do it..."

Benny shook his head, "They have no idea what's waiting for them. She's probably going to do it. And with Sean unable to use his powers, this isn't looking good. These bastards shoot anti-tank missiles, their firearms won't be nearly enough. If Revy surfaces...she won't be able to take them."

X

Revy fired two shots underwater with her weapon, killing the two divers that were traveling with the pod up toward the main ship on the surface. She continued to kick her feet hard as she made to reach the surface.

Before she could get any farther, a strong arm wrapped around her waist and stopped her. She spun and glared, only to meet a matching look from Sean.

He shook his head and pointed toward the surface, made a sign of a gun in his hand and pointed it at her head and pretending to shoot. Sending the message 'They're waiting for us, you'll end up dead.'.

Revy narrowed her gaze, but didn't fight as he began pulling her away from what could have been her demise and back in the direction of the Lagoon, his enhanced strength propelling them much quicker. They'd have to come up with a new plan to get the painting back.

X

The duo made it back to the boat at just about sunset, pulling up on to the deck and pulling off their gear as Dutch and Benny came out to greet them. "What happened?" asked Dutch getting right to the point.

"Bastards got the painting." Sean muttered as he stripped off the last of the scuba suit and shifted his clothes back into place, breathing slightly in relief as the bio-mass surrounded him. "Fucking Nazi bastards."

Revy growled, "So what? Those skin-head fucks got one over us?"

"It's not over yet, Revy." said Dutch. "The job we took on isn't finished."

"Then let's do it, Dutch!" she exclaimed. "Let's turn the Nazi Party into a bloody party!"

The Captain nodded, "Agreed. Putting politics aside, it's not good for business to let them have it their way. Idiots playing heros need some bitter medicine. So let's give it to them.

Sean looked out toward the Nazi mothership as it moved slowly away. He agreed with Dutch, they needed to get the painting back for the job. But on a personal level, letting a bunch of dark-age throwbacks attempt to rebirth the Nazi Regime that countless had died trying to destroy live was an insult to those brave men. And he'd be happy to show them how the war ended all that time ago, and how history can come back to bite you in the ass.

While he was lost in thought, he never saw Revy send him a dark look. Their earlier discussion putting her in a bad state before she turned to the side and spat. Benny and Dutch saw this and looked to one another wondering what had happened down there.

**A/N: Honestly, after seeing everything from our history in the second world war, I'm glad the Nazis were taken down by the allies. And seeing people out there trying to live up to the same level of hatred as them pisses me off to no end. So it goes without saying, there will be a lot of spilled blood in the next chapter.**


	7. Moonlit Hunting Ground

**A/N: And here we are once again, and with an anticipated chapter to boot. I know the dialogue in the last chapter left a bit to be desired with some, and there are a few unexplained points that I'll get to right here and now. **

**For starters, Sean doesn't know anything about Revy's past just like she doesn't know what he had to endure during the infection. So the two of them were both guilty of making assumptions about one another that they will have to overcome at some point.**

**Next, we have the thing about Sean and water. Anyone who has played Prototype and understood Blacklight agree that the virus can't spread in water or thrive too long in it. And since no character in either games could be in water long without being forced out, it left an opportunity to make a small weakness for my OC. Sorry I kinda had to pull that one out of my ass during the planning stages.**

**Now, with all that out of the way, let's get back to the ass-kicking!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

Night had fallen over the ocean, the crew of the Black Lagoon traveling silently along the surface a safe distance from the Nazi mothership. The larger vessel was showing signs of slowing down which had allowed the crew aboard the PT boat time to plan their next move.

Dutch sat smoking at the helm, piloting the Lagoon in the wake of the mothership. Sean was on the floor behind him, leaning against a wall as he loaded assault rifle clips with 5.56 rounds from a nearby ammo box. On his other side on the floor was a military issued M4A1 Carbine with a 552 holographic sight attached to it, and laying next to that was a black .50cal AE Desert Eagle with several clips loaded and ready to go close by.

Both guns were from purchases he had made back at Roanapur two days prior. Dutch had gotten him in contact with one of their many trusted gun sellers and found himself a small arsenal and ammunition. Even though he could get away with his abilities as an Evolved, Sean felt a sense of nostalgia when using firearms. Reminding him of his time as a soldier before the New York outbreak.

That, and it helped him fit in the lawless town rather well.

"What do you think's up with that painting anyway?" Dutch suddenly asked. "It can't be helped that their peculiar political principle is different from ours, but coming with that much weaponry and equipment is not something some poor white-men can pull off."

Sean slipped the last round in the clip he was working on and set it aside with the others. "They have way too much firepower for a simple smash and grab. If they shot TOWs at you guys then we can assume that they have an arsenal for a small army on board. Big guns, obviously they're back by big money. And it seems a bit too convenient that we were offered a pretty big sum for getting this thing in the first place."

"Was thinking the same thing." said the Captain. "Hopefully we can put all those pieces together later tonight when we get it back." Sean nodded as he began to disassemble the carbine and check to make sure each part was in working order before putting it back together again and loading a fresh clip into it. Pressing the weapon to his shoulder and looking down the sights at the far wall.

Dutch peered over his shoulder and watched the Evolved check his weapons with a raised eyebrow. "Never expected you to use firearms like that, save for the time when we first met."

"Brings back memories of my time as a marine." Sean replied laying the rifle down and picking up the Desert Eagle and checking it over as well. "I'm proficient with my powers, but I like using guns once in a while. Helps me feel...normal again, I guess you could say. Besides, I think these Neo-Nazi fucks deserve some good old fashioned lead injections."

"True enough." said the Captain turning back to look forward again. "By the way, Sean, you mind fetching Revy some dinner before we go hunting? We're all going to need the energy when we get onboard their ship."

The Evolved paused what he was doing a moment before sighing. "Yeah, sure." he said laying his sidearm aside and standing up to head out of the room.

"Tell her that they don't deliver pizza out here." Dutch called after him. "So she'll have to give in and eat something from a can."

Waving to Benny as he passed his 'office', Sean went into the galley and warmed up a can of chili that was on the shelves before heading up to the outside deck. Finding the female gunslinger sitting at the tip of the bow, wind blowing through her hair which was let down past her shoulders with a trail of smoke trailing back from the lit smoke in her mouth.

The two of them hadn't spoken to each other since they escaped from the U-boat. The tension was pretty rough to the point the others could pick up on it easily. Sean did feel a bit guilty about the argument, that it wasn't the time or place to throw that much personal baggage at one another. But he didn't regret what had been said.

She didn't know anything about him, yet she keeps throwing out comments how he was a killer and seemed to have fun with it when it was the farthest from the truth. But he could also tell that Revy's life wasn't anything to be proud of, and something traumatic must have happened to make her the way she was.

_"You still had choices open to you, Revy...I didn't."_ his last comment to her still rang in his head, and even now he realized how wrong he could have been. It was true that he didn't choose to be an Evolved...maybe she didn't have a choice to be what she was either.

"Revy." he said holding out the can of warm food. "I brought dinner. Going to have to have a full stomach when we hit the Nazi ship." She said nothing and kept her back to him. Sean set the can down close to her back and turned to leave, stopping a moment before looking back at her. "Look, if your still pissed about what happened back at the sub-"

"Sean." she said cutting him off. "We're done talking about that. There's no reason to go over it again. Right?" her tone was calm, too calm. Which meant that either she was holding in a lot of anger, or she had crawled inside herself and let her other personality take over. The personality everyone knew as Two-Hands.

The Evolved let the matter go and headed back inside. Soon they would be making their move...and a lot of blood would be spilled.

X

"It's a good night." Dutch said as they sat in the now idle PT boat. The Nazi mothership having slowed to the same speed roughly 5,500 feet ahead of them. "The moon is about to sink and the only light will be from the stars. As soon as that happens, we'll raid their ship."

"I've been keeping an eye on their ship at the outer range of our radar." said Benny as everyone, save Revy, was gathered in the helm.

Dutch nodded, "Good. Sean, Revy and I will raid the ship. The three of us splitting up will cover more ground and deal with these bastards a lot faster. The faster we find the painting, the better. And since they have what they were after, they're probably sitting back, relaxing in their supposed victory."

"And that will come back to bite them in the ass." said Sean. His usual denim jacket had been changed into a black tactical vest with enough pockets to hold his ammo clips. His Desert Eagle in a holster that was shifted on his right thigh and the Carbine strapped across his back barely covering the bright red angel wings on the back of the vest.

After a while, and the lighting was just right, the team of three headed to the upper deck and stood facing their target. Dutch with a combat shotgun over his shoulder and Revy with her favored Cutlass' ready to go. "You idiots can keep toasting each other." he said to the open air. "We're gonna come banging on our tom-toms and raid you like navajos. Wagner won't even compare to that."

Sean pulled the bolt-handle back on the Carbine, tendrils rippling along his arms as he leered at the ship. "Oohrah."

"Here's the game plan." the Captain said turning to them. "We need to go about this to be sure there aren't any fuck ups. Revy, you distract the crew, make a lot of noise. I'll search for the painting and the head asshole. Sean, make sure that ship stops moving and disable their artillery. When we're done, I'll shoot a flare and Benny can come in and pick us up."

"Got it." said the Evolved slinging his rifle over his shoulder.

"All right. I have no complaints if I can kill who I can kill and steal what I can steal." said Revy calmly. Dutch sent her a look, but nodded. They tossed the dingy they had on board over the side and piled in, the Captain starting her up and pulling away from the Lagoon and toward the Nazi mothership. The sound of music blasting loudly over the water covering their approach.

When they reached the side of the ship, Sean stood and hurled a grappling hook up to the railing above them giving Dutch and Revy a way up. He bent his knees, stabilizing himself even with the rocking waves, and leapt up. Feet touching the side of the ship before he ran along the surface and vaulting over the railing. Arms in claw-form, he looked around before signaling to the other two that the coast was clear.

They met up on the deck and moved out of sight as a lone guard came stumbling around the corner and came their way. A half empty bottle of booze in his hand and a stupid grin on his face as he shuffled along. The grappling hook attached to the railing catching his attention and making him look at it long enough before it clicked in his hazy mind what it was.

"Uh...Oh no! I think we got trouble! Someone ge-" he froze when someone pressed a gun barrel to the back of his head.

"And just like that, the first little piggie met his end." Revy said coldly while holding her Cutlass to his skull. "Oink, oink, oink." she fired two shots, blowing out the front of the man's skull and sending his brains shooting through the air.

Dutch came out and racked his shotgun while the female gunslinger made her way to the door the guard had come out of. "I'll make my way to the upper deck from the bow. I need you both to turn this place into a cluster fuck."

Sean unslung his Carbine and nodded. Revy just kept walking and started going down the steps with both guns in hand. "Yeah, you don't have to tell me twice. I'll eat until I have my fill." she vanished into the lower depths soon after.

"She's been acting gloomy since you guys got back from the sub." Dutch said looking toward the younger man. "Did something happen down there between the two of you?"

The Evolved kept his gaze on where she had left. "An argument that resulted in us throwing our baggage at one another. It didn't end well. I take it she isn't normally like this?"

"Only once in a blue moon, but when she is it means a lot of people's shit is about to be fucked up." the Captain replied. "Might have to keep an eye on her, but for now we got a job to do." Sean nodded again and set out to handle the objectives he was given.

Dutch just shook his head as he thought about the two of them, "Damn kids."

X

The first few objectives he had were easy. Locating the TOW missile launchers and heavy machine guns on the main deck hadn't been a problem. And the guards that were suppose to be keeping guard were so drunk they didn't see him coming, even as he was breaking their necks.

Sean used his enhanced strength to break the firing mechanisms of the launchers and damage the machine gun barrels to that they were unusable before he started making his way in the direction of the stairs that would take him to the lower decks.

Consuming one of the living guards along the way so that he had a mental map of the ship as well as learning just how inept of a military that these idiots really were.

Unlike the real Nazis back in WWII, these guys barely had any training or experience in combat. Those that did were so cocky that it was laughable. The only reason they did this was to look badass and spread bigotry and bullshit from a regime that was lost in time.

Compared to Blackwatch...these guys may as well have been rent-a-cops with guns they didn't know how to really use. It was sad and pathetic. Regardless, they were the enemy. And if they wanted to play soldier, then the Evolved was going to show them how to lose like soldiers.

Reaching the bottom of the steps, Sean raised his Carbine and treaded softly down the corridor. He could hear alarms blaring throughout the ship now as well as gunfire on the other side meaning Revy was having her fun elsewhere.

Around the corner ahead, three men came running with assault rifles in hand. Skidding to a stop when they saw the Evolved waiting for them. They didn't have a chance to overcome their shock as he fired short controlled bursts into their ranks, putting them down fast before continuing on.

Another Nazi popped out of a doorway wielding a pistol, but a quick pull of the trigger and he was hitting the floor with blood pooling around his corpse. Sean reached the doorway and saw another hiding behind an overturned table, one more burst with the rounds punching through the wood had him down in no time as he dumped the spent magazine and loaded a fresh one.

Old memories started coming back to him. His time in the marines fighting in Iraq, weapon in hand as he fought an enemy down range. It felt liberating.

The door behind him opened and he heard footsteps. He spun immediately, right arm shifting as he held his rifle in the left before shooting out his whipfist. The sharp blade going straight through the man trying to get the drop on him and stabbing into the metal wall behind him.

He had only a second to look down at the appendage through his torso before it was slashed upward cutting his upper half in two. Blood spraying on the wall and ceiling before the body fell back into the room it came out of.

Changing his arm back to normal, Sean continued on his path. Taking out what little resistance was in his way before he reached the door that led down to the engineering deck. Going down the steps quietly, he switched his rifle for is Eagle, changing his left arm into claw-form as he touched the bottom level. Everything quiet save for the sound of machinery and the alarm that was still blaring which covered his movements.

The faded lights around him made it hard to see with how many shadows were being cast everywhere. Switching to his thermal vision, the corridor before him lit up with a dull orange with brighter marks around the machinery. But it was the human shaped outlines of brighter colors that had him focused.

One of the hidden Nazis stood, aiming his assault rifle only for a half-dollar sized hole to punch through his chest from a .50cal round. His body slamming into the bulk head behind him causing the other gunmen to jump up and open fire.

Sean charged forward, firing his Eagle on the right and slashing his claws on the left as he flew past the wannabe soldiers. Blood sprayed along the walls and bodies hit the floor as the Evolved burned a path of death toward where he knew the engine room would be located. By the end of his run, the slide of his Eagle locked back signaling a spent clip, his claws dripping with fresh blood as he rounded the corner ahead of him.

The engine room was at the end of the short corridor ahead, and standing before it was a lone Nazi that was aiming a sidearm in his direction. Sweat pouring down his face as he tried to put up a good front but was failing due to the shaking going on through his frame.

A flurry of tendrils later and his claws and the blood that was on them disappeared. "You look like a smart guy, so I'll give you a fighting chance." he said holding up his weapon. "You've got until I finish reloading this to take me down. If not, you'll be joining your friends in hell. Sound good?"

The man started shooting in response. The rounds going wide and hitting the walls and pipes around Sean as he rolled his eyes and dumped the spent clip from his Eagle, the sound of it hitting the floor with the soft ping of bullets hitting metal as he took out a full one and slipped it into the gun. The slide snapping back into place and chambering a fresh round as the man's gun ran empty, not one bullet hitting the mark.

"Really?" the Evolved asked as the Neo-Nazi kept pulling the trigger even though the pistol was empty. "I think the real Nazi's are rolling over in their graves right now." he raised his weapon and fired. His strength easily taking the recoil and keeping the barrel steady as the round blew the back of the man's head open like an exploding pumpkin. Chunks of bone and grey matter painting the door leading to the engine room while the corpse slumped to the floor and fell face-forward on to the deck.

Lowering the Eagle and stepping over the body, Sean raised his foot and kicked the metal door hard. The dense material crumbling inward and breaking off from the hinges as hit crashed to the floor on the other side. Revealing the startled forms of a dozen engineers with their hands raised in surrender. "W-Wait!" said one of them stepping forward, "We're just hired help, we're not with these guys!"

Sean looked to each of them, taking in their obvious fear, but there wasn't a hint of lies amongst them. Holstering his weapon he addressed the group. "Listen up! Anybody on this ship wearing a Nazi get-up is getting their ticket punched. So if you really aren't with them, cut all power to the engines while me and my friends finish up. Do we have a deal?"

Three of the men headed over to a cluster of consoles and began working on them. A moment later they could all feel the ship slow to a halt while the machinery all stopped functioning. "We never believed what these assholes were preaching, we were just doing our jobs running the ship." said one of the engineers.

The Evolved nodded, "Alright, stay out of sight. We'll be out of here in no time and you can go about your lives." he turned and made his way out just as his earpiece went off.

"Sean, Revy, you guys hearing me?" came Dutch's voice.

"I read you, Dutch." he replied touching the device in his ear. "Ships turned off and their guns are trashed. Benny should have no trouble coming in."

"Glad to hear it. Revy how bout you?" there was silence. "Revy? Revy where are you?" Dutch was sounding tense the longer she didn't answer. "Damn it! That bitch!" he shouted.

Sean stopped a moment, "What's going on Dutch?"

"She's not answering, and I got a bad feeling about the reason why." replied the Captain with the sound of running footsteps in the background. "Is she anywhere near you?"

He was about to reply when he felt a spike of pressure around his forehead and eyes. Grunting, he held his forehead. Vaguely aware that Dutch was calling his name over the radio as the whole world around him tinted orange like his thermal vision with his eyes going red. But the big difference was the strange pulse that shot out from his body and traveling through the ship.

A moment or two passed before everything came back to normal, "What the fuck was that?" Sean muttered shaking his head while everything settled.

"Sean?! What the fuck's happening out there?!" Dutch demanded.

"Everything's fine...I think." the Evolved replied when he felt a new instinct awaken within him. "Hold on a second." He focused into the odd feeling he had felt before, the world changing color around him again as another pulse left his body and spread out through the ship. The pulse pinging off of several prone bodies on the floors above, then rebounding off the group of engineers he left behind, their heartbeats beating loudly for him to hear.

Sean snapped his now red eyes upward as the pulse he let out hit a moving figure close to the front of the ship. The being clearly in the form of a female that was making their way up a flight of steps.

"Revy's on the upper levels heading toward the helm." he said into his earpiece.

"How the hell did you...never mind, I'm going after her before she does something stupid." said the Captain as the line went quiet. The Evolved wondered what was going on with Revy and why Dutch sounded so tense about it, but he'd worry about that later.

Heading back up to the main deck, he looked around a moment before letting out another one of his newly acquired sonar pulses. The pulse itself bouncing off of another form that was holed up in a room in the main part of the ship. Smirking, he began making his way in that direction.

Knowing that their objective, and the man in charge where both in that area.

X

Meanwhile, on the other side of the ship. Dutch and Revy walked side by side down one of the many, now quiet, corridors. The large man having stopped his employee from executing a room full of service men who weren't apart of the socialists that owned the vessel.

"Revy, have you cooled off?" he asked while reloading his shotgun.

"What do you mean?" she asked casually.

Dutch sighed, "You get Whitman fever whenever we get a new member. It happened when we took in Benny."

"Our style's not to dig too deep into each other's past, right?" she fired back. "I'll finish this job. Perfectly." the stopped at a small intersection.

"Of course you will. Or we wouldn't be able to support our way of life." said Dutch heading over to a nearby door and opening it. "I'll check this area. With any luck Sean's on the hunt for the Commander too. We'll finish talking later." and with that he disappeared.

Revy sighed and looked off to the side, her adrenaline from before starting to fade slightly. But it snapped back into focus when she heard a clatter on the left, her eyes snapping that way just as a large form came barreling out of the closed doorway.

Standing in the hallway before her was a man in an officer's uniform. His height dwarfing hers by over a foot at least as he grinned at her. "So you're still alive, little girl. I compliment you on your audaciousness." he said before stepping toward her. "The name I have proudly cured since birth is Blitz Standford. I am the acting Captain of the glorious White Aryan Socialist Union. And you are the nefarious grave robber. This is a clearly fated confrontation."

Revy didn't seem to care less as she began to casually reload her Cutlass.

"For the sake of those who died for the Union, you shall atone with your blood!" Blitz reached back and produced a custom made Luger that he held in the air proudly while chambering a round in it, "Behold! Witness this mighty gun I wield! I call it the Eiserne Reich Luger Special!"

"The barrel if the Luger artillery long and the frame his hardened carbon! With a thick grip and a double reinforced chamber it is clearly one of a kind!" while he monologued, Revy finished reloading her own weapon and didn't pay even the slightest attention while the blowhard continued to rant.

"This weapon is far to destructive to simply be referred to as man stopping! I am the only one on Earth capable of wielding this terrible gun!" he laughed boastfully as he aimed it at her head. "Are you afraid?! There's no way you're not! Now witness the awesome power of this-"

_Bang!_ He was thrown back when a 9mm slug punched through his shoulder sending him crashing to the floor.

"Shut the fuck up." Revy said finally sick of it. "Didn't you see I wasn't even listening? I mean were you trying to sell me the damn gun or what?"

The Captain attempted to sit up, gritting his teeth, "You fucking coward!" he grunted when she slammed her boot on his chest and pinning him to the floor before crouching on him.

"Now it's my turn to talk." she said pressing the barrel of her Cutlass to his forehead. "Here's some advice. If you can hit your target, pretty much any gun will do the trick." Blitz began to sweat as her finger tightened on the trigger. "And that's one to grow on, say hi to the Führer for me. Would ya?"

_Bang!_

X

The socialist Commander lowered the phone that had been pressed to his ear when he hear the last gunshot. His office going quiet save for the voice of his superior on the other end of the line.

"That's the sound of the finally." came the aged, yet very calm tone, "It appears you've lost. I've heard that tune many times in my past. It's just a distant memory to me now."

The door to the office opened, the Commander jerked his head in that direction and started shaking when he saw Sean's from leaning against the door frame. Arms crossed over his chest as he leered dangerously at the balding leader.

"So...this is where the cowardly leader of these so called 'Socialists' hides out while his men are being slaughtered." he said casually as though he were talking about the weather. "Sorry to interrupt your phone call, but after the bullshit you and your men put us through I didn't feel the need to be polite."

The Commander fell back in his chair, but jumped when he heard his superior laughing over the phone. "This one certainly sounds very brave. I want to talk to him, put him on." The man hesitantly held out the phone to the Evolved.

"It's for you." he said.

Sean tilted his head before walking toward the desk. Reaching out and pressing the speaker button on the base of the phone. "So, can I assume your the real boss of this operation? Because honestly, these guys were barely worth the effort." he said standing by the desk.

"Indeed I am. Forgive me for the shameful display." said the elderly man.

The Evolved looked down at the painting on the desk, narrowing his eyes at the picture and remembering the specifics they had gotten about the job. "Now, as for the painting everyone seems to want to get their hands on. Something in my gut tells me that this isn't what it appears. Fighting for a piece of priceless art, that I can understand. But sending a small army to retrieve it with enough firepower to go to war? That doesn't make sense. So obviously this painting is just a front, whatever your after, is inside of it."

Another thought came to him, "And I'm just making a rather large assumption here, but I'm pretty sure that you may or may not have acquired the number for our courier office. How am I doing so far?"

The man laughed again, "Your levels of deduction are vert astute, my young friend. The antique trade company from Madrid that asked for this salvage job. Was in fact me. I am also the one who wanted your company and Rachmann to collide."

"What?" asked the Commander, Rachmann, as he stood from his chair in shock.

"It was a most amusing method, which also acted as their rite of passage and insurance for me. And this is a fleeting and dear memory." said the benefactor. "The day Heydrich decided on the 'Final Solution', we made a vow at the Wannsee lakeside to become realistic guardians, rather than idealists believing in victory."

"We gathered all of our capital and created a file with all of our signatures and account numbers. When signs of the end approached, we placed out files into four paintings and escaped Berlin. That painting there is the last piece." he finished explaining.

Sean chuckled, "Hard to believe that a large piece of Nazi secrecy was right under our noses this whole time. Give me a good reason why I shouldn't shred this thing here and now old man."

"That's fine. I simply wanted to get it back because it was discovered." said the man on the phone. "We are a financial success at this time. But what about the trust you may lose with future business for your company?"

He had a point. No matter how he felt about the situation, killing future business and the trust earned by Lagoon wasn't worth it. "Guess you're right on that one." he said after a few moments.

"You're quite intelligent, for someone that sounds so young."

"Thanks, I guess. You wanna finish talking to your subordinate here?" asked the Evolved taking out his Eagle. "Because I've got an itchy trigger finger right now."

"No, that's alright. He has already fulfilled his role." said the benefactor.

Rachmann slammed his fist on the desk, "Alfred! You bastard!" he roared swipping everything off the surface. "First you set me up in this fixed race, and now you betray me?!"

"Watch your mouth, youngster." said Alfred in a stern tone as the phone base laid on the floor. "Your forces and the courier company were given equal terms. You should have known better than to try and enter our society with that level of ability."

The Commander flopped back on his chair nearly sobbing as the benefactor began speaking to Sean again, "Now, young man. I take it that you and your fellow couriers are all finished out there."

"Everyone on board's dead, save for those keeping the ship running. The painting is in our possession, the Commander here looks ready to off himself, and my boss and fellow merc should be here any second. Yeah, I guess that would constitute a job well done."

"And a splendid job it is." said Alfred. "If you were an Aryan, I would have awarded you and yours the Iron Cross."

"No thanks. Just the money you owe us would be enough." said the Evolved. "And prey that we don't meet. My grandfather nearly lost his life fighting you Nazi fucks, I intend to finish the job for him in the present if the opportunity shows itself."

Alfred chuckled, "Honesty is wonderful. Hypocrisy rots the world. I hope that all people like you will be wiped off the face of this planet."

Sean grinned darkly, "And I hope you and the rest of the bigotry throwbacks out there get ass-fucked by Satan's pitchfork in hell." he stomped down on the phone base shattering it into pieces.

A moment later, Dutch and Revy appeared in the other door way on the other side of the room. "Well, looks like we were right about the painting after all." said the Captain after they had overheard the conversation. "I take it this one's the Commander."

"The term is very loose, at best." said the Evolved turning to the man in question. Taking his Eagle and laying it on the surface of the desk. "Well old man, it's been fun. But I think I'm going to let you decide how it ends."

Rachmann picked up the large side arm, his hand shaking as he pressed the barrel to his head before looking at the three of them. The three that had decimated his men and made him look weak and useless. His dreams of becoming a true member of the Aryan Socialist Union in shreds with no way out of the situation he was now in.

His eyes hardened and he let loose a yell as he aimed the weapon at Sean and fired. The .50cal bullet blasting a hole through his left eye and blowing out the back of his head. Blood and tissue staining the floor as the gun's slide locked back.

There was silence in the room. The Evolved remaining standing with his hands in his pockets even though his head had snapped back. A few seconds passing as he slowly raised his head back up, a large, gaping hole in his skull where the bullet had punched through him as he grinned at the now horrified Commander.

"Well, that was interesting." said Sean as the damage repaired itself. His skull turning normal again very quickly as he approached the desk again. Rachmann kept pulling the trigger of the Eagle even though nothing was coming out. "Now, let me try my luck." the Evolved held up his hand and changed it into an axe.

Dutch and Revy each took out a smoke and lit them as the Commander screamed one last time. "NOOOOOOO-!" _SHINK! SPLASH!_

X

The sun had just started peeking over the water in the distance as the trio signaled Benny with a flare and climbed back aboard the Lagoon, painting in hand as they headed back toward land.

All they had to do was make a call and meet at the place where they could drop the goods off and get their payment. After that, a good drink at the Yellow Flag was in order after the long two days they had. And none of them had an argument about it.

Sitting on the bow of the boat, one leg dangling over the edge with the other bent at the knee in front of him was Sean. Cigarette between his lips as he stared out over the moving waves. The cool air and salt water spraying his face as he remained motionless. His mind blank while he sat in a type of meditative trans.

It had been something he used to do after an operation overseas. A way to allow himself to reset and prepare himself for the next one. And it still worked, even now that he wasn't so human anymore.

The cigarette burned slowly as he took shallow breaths, smoke blowing out his nose as he relaxed his very being. Unknown to him, however, he wasn't alone. Revy sat in the lookout station with her own cig, her hazel eyes locked on the Evolved as he sat like a statue.

Like him, their argument had hit home with her as well in several ways. And her pride refused to let go of the darker emotions that it had unleashed within her.

Sean and her, they were similar. Though she refused to let herself admit it. And it bothered her greatly to the point of doing what she normally did when someone nearly got through to her. She went deep inside herself and focused on the killing instead of facing it.

Dutch had told her back on the ship that she wouldn't be able to brush this aside no matter what she did. It was her personal demons that she wanted to leave behind her, there wasn't any point in going back to that place. And she'd be damned if she let the 'human bacteria' take her there.

Taking a long drag on her cancer stick, she looked away from Sean and off to the other side of the boat. After the past day...she just couldn't see herself teaming up with someone like him. They may have been similar in some way, but they were just too different at the same time. Like two different shades of darkness.

Things just wouldn't work between them.

**A/N: Some good combat, original dialogue, and a few changes for the story. And Sean managed to unlock Hunter Vision as well.**

**I had to put this in because it proves that Sean is still evolving and growing. Meaning he will continue to grow stronger the longer he goes on in the future, and I plan on throwing in a couple of power ideas that I think would have gone great in the games.**

**The next chapter will mostly be canon with original dialogue, Revy and Sean gotta work out their issues and it will be an argument worth writing about. So drop me some reviews with your thoughts and I'll have the next chapter read soon!**


	8. Common Ground

**A/N: Alright, after much trial an error. And a few headaches along the way. I've finally managed to put this chapter together. I'm used to putting some good action in mu chapters, and having one that has only dialogue takes a lot more time and thought to make it worth while.**

**But it's here, I did my best, now time to add it to the rest.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

One of the few things that relaxed Sean was the soft rumble of a V8 engine. It brought him back to the time in high school where he'd drive through the New York streets in his father's old car.

The GTO used by the Lagoon company brought back fond memories when he was behind the wheel. Though relaxation eluded him as he drove the car through the Roanapur streets. Going under the bridge that led out to the more rural part of the land and traveling down the open road.

In the passenger seat, Revy sat in her usual position with her feet up on the dash and cigarette in her mouth. Neither of them had said a word since they had left their last destination an hour ago, much like they hadn't done for several days.

Ever since the mission against the Neo-Nazi's, the duo had been avoiding each other like the plague. The argument that had occurred between them the linchpin in their current distaste of one another.

Benny and Dutch had stayed out of it. Whatever had been going on between them was their business and they would have to deal with it. But the tension was far from good, and the idea of it affecting future jobs was high. Neither of them would break the barrier first, and what words they would exchange were only if necessary, and even then Revy didn't hold back the cold snipes she would throw Sean's way which it turn would cause the Evolved to send her scathing looks and leave the room before he destroyed something.

"Gah...I'm tired, I'm tired, I'm tired!" the gunslinger suddenly groaned, breaking the silence. "Why am I stuck playing fucking errand boy with you?"

Sean said nothing and kept driving. Starting a pissing match with Revy was not on his to do list today and there wasn't a small army to take his frustration out on if things got too heated.

_"How the fuck did we get here anyway?" _he wondered.

X Earlier that Day X

"You sure about this, Dutch?" Sean asked as the Captain tossed him the keys for the GTO.

"I have to work on the boat. And Benny's working on the mechanics." said the man as he produced a slip of paper from his pocket and handed it to the Evolved. "Oh, right. Revy's just lying around in her room. Take her with you."

"Right, cuz that's a good thing." muttered Sean as he read the paper. "I think I can handle this on my own, Dutch. It's not rocket science." he went to leave when Dutch put a hand on his shoulder stopping him.

"Sean, you two have been balancing on a damn knife edge since the bullshit with those socialists. Whatever the hell's going on between the two of you needs to get resolved. I'm not getting shot in the fucking ass on the next job because you two were having some adolescent pissing match." the Captain said with no room or argument. "Solve the problem, and get the fuck over it."

The Evolved took a deep breath, "You know she's not gonna go for this, right?"

"That's another problem you two will have to solve on your own." Dutch smirked at him, "It doesn't affect me or the job, just get it done. Start with the closer places. First, head to Rowan 'Jackpot' Pigeon's place on Rachiada Street."

Sean gave a half-assed salute as he went toward the apartments. After nearly taking a bullet to the throat, he managed to get a disgruntled and slightly hung over Revy into the car as they headed out to complete the errands Dutch wanted them to do.

Their first stop was a place run by the guy Rowan that Dutch had mentioned. It took only half a second for Sean to realize that it was a strip club/ brothel given the girls and ads out front.

Parking and heading inside, the duo found themselves facing a dark-skinned man in a yellow suit with an afro and sunglasses sitting down on a couch with two barely dressed women.

"Welcome, Rebecca." Rowan said govally. "I thought you gave up on me. So, you've finally decided to work here as a dancer for the S&M show, right? That's it, isn't it baby?"

Sean had to bite his tongue to avoid chuckling. Thankful that a waitress walked by offering him a drink that he accepted while laying a 20 on her tray and winking at her. The stripper blushing before heading off to tend to others.

"Give me a break, Rowan." Revy not in the mood for his shit. "I only came here because my job brought me here. I don't wanna be fucking tied up or tie some other dumb shit up."

Rowan looked disappointed, "You're as hard to get as always. You're so fine, you'd fit either part." Sean snorted into his glass causing the gunslinger to send a burning glare his direction as he gulped the alcohol down. "It's a shame. So, what brings you here today?"

"Goods from the firm." said the Evolved setting the empty glass aside and taking out the form he had been given. "The booze you ordered, 1,500 bottles, are located in warehouse five at the harbor bureau."

"Ah, this really helps." said Rowan taking the paper and looking it over. "Wow! Tax sure has gone up on these! I can't stand it." he looked over the rim of his glasses at Sean and raised an eyebrow. "By the way, who would you be? Never seen you around here."

"Oh, him. He's a newbie ar our place." said Revy casually. "He's got nowhere else to go, so we had no choice but to take care of him."

"Was this before or after you stuck a gun in my face, 'kidnapped me', and basically found out the hard way that I'm not your average run-of-the-mill jackass?" the Evolved said making the smirk fall off her face. He looked back to Rowan who now looked interested, "Name's Sean. Nice club you got here."

The club owner chuckled, "I'd say you'd be in for a rough ride, but seeing how you are around Rebecca here I'm sure you're used to that kind of thing. Still, if you ever need help or something more 'entertaining', feel free to come to us."

Before he could say anything, Revy shoved him hard toward the door. Barely having him move an inch or two as she spoke. "Later, Rowan. Don't forget about the money you owe us."

X

The next stop on their list was Hotel Moscow and letting Balalaika know that the shipment of supplies that she had ordered would be running a day or two late from what they originally had scheduled.

She seemed to take it well...then again, she also looked bored out of her mind as she sat at a computer desk and making alterations to some kind of porno films.

"So the shipment's gonna be late?" she said in a bored tone, ashes falling off the tip of the cigar in her mouth. "You could have told me that over the phone, but you came all the way here instead?"

"Tell that to Dutch." said Revy as she watched the video on screen over her shoulder. Sean leaned against the wall with his arms crossed while they spoke.

"That's fine. I've gotta finish fifteen of these today. So I'm not getting out anytime soon." said Balalaika as the woman in the video screamed louder. "I should've hired a part-timer to do this. This is driving me crazy." she fast forwarded the footage and resumed playing. "I have a meeting tonight, too. Some idiots are selling drugs without permission. What a pain in the balls."

"Hold on...is she taking it up the ass?" Revy asked suddenly. Sean craned his neck and raised an eyebrow, silently wondering how the actress could flex that way.

"Sure is." replied the Russian leader before going back to their discussion. "Oh. If you happen to hear anything about that, let me know. I'll thank you properly."

The headed for the door and began to take their leave, "Yeah, we'll let you know if we hear anything." said the gunslinger heading out. "Good luck with the rest."

Sean leaned back in the door, "My sympathies." he said simply before closing the door behind him.

"Somebody shoot me." Balalaika said as she continued her work.

X

And here they were, heading toward their last destination for the job.

A place called the 'Ripoff Church' to meet with a Sister Deegan about firearms they needed to get for the next job that was lined up for them. It was about sunset as they pulled up to the old Catholic church at the top of a hill that overlooked a good portion of the city.

Parking out front, the two got out of the car. Sean hanging back and looking at the building while Revy headed toward the door. He hadn't been anywhere near a church since his parents had died. He and his sister had been raised Catholic, but their family didn't completely follow the life style. Though the did go to church every once in a while and developed good faith from it.

He reached up and held the pendant around his neck beneath his 'clothes'. Even though his faith had fallen deeply recently, the Evolved still held on to a bit of it even though it seemed pointless to some. But to him, it meant holding on to a part of himself that still existed.

"Hey, you old bitch!" Revy shouted as she pounded on the door. "It's Rebecca, from the Lagoon company! Open this fucking door you old skank! Hello!"

The parrot perched off to the side began repeating what she was yelling making the whole situation look almost comical before a nun with blonde hair wearing sunglasses came around from the back.

"You're too damn loud." she said with an American accent. She turned back to the two clergy men that were unloading sheets from the back of a truck. "Just put those in the shed."

"But these are clean sheets." said one of them.

"It's okay. It's what the sister said to do with them." replied the nun chewing a piece of gum. Sean's sharp eyes catching something off about her attire and finding a gun in a shoulder holster rig on her. He kept quiet and observed as she turned back to Revy, "Hey, Two Hands, that's the chapel." she said blowing a bubble and popping it. "If trash like you walks through there, you'll be punished by the heavens. Over here. Follow me."

The duo trailed behind her as she led them into another building where an older nun wearing an eyepatch over her left eye was already situated at a table. Tea set out before her as she drank patiently. "Please, have a seat." she said calmly as they all got situated.

Sister Yolanda looked at the two of them and smiled, "My, it certainly is a surprise that Dutchy-boy would send you on an errand." she said to Revy.

"That's not your problem. Do you have the goods we ordered?" the gunslinger asked rudely from her spot on the couch next to Sean.

The nun picked up a clipboard that had been laying beside her. "Yes. New items from Eastern Europe, arriving here by way of Cambodia. Except for one item." she looked up at them. "Unfortunately, we're still waiting for the Arwin 37 revolving grenade launcher."

Revy narrowed her eyes at her, "Don't fuck with us, Sister. We ordered everything through you because we need them for the next job."

Yolanda breathed out, not losing her smile. "Actually, we do have the item. It's just another customer is saying they need it immediately. However, as Lagoon is a very good customer of ours, I wouldn't mind handing it over to you."

Sean narrowed his own eyes, he'd seen business deals similar to this in the past. If this place really was one where you could get whatever weapons and ammo you needed for whatever purpose, then they'd know many ways to use loopholes to get more out of their clients.

Sister Yolanda had obviously been at this game a while. So she'd be hard to crack when the other shoe dropped.

"Anyway," said the older nun after a moment, "It will either have to be a better deal or a discount on your services."

_"And there it is." _thought the Evolved as tension in the air started to rise.

"I already said don't fuck with us, you old bitch." Revy growled. "If you just play by the book, then everyone will be happy." she rested the palm of her hand on one of her Cutlass'. "You wouldn't wanna count your money with your feet, would you?"

"I wouldn't make idle threats, Rebecca." said Yolanda, unthreatened as she drank her tea. "If you insist, why don't you bring Dutchy-boy around?" In the next moment, Revy was on her feet, Cutlass in hand only to have the blonde nun from earlier pull her own sidearm and aim it right back at her.

The two women glared at one another, guns never wavering as they kept them trained on one another. "That's all I have to say. There's nothing else beyond that." said Yolanda dismissively.

"Move it, Eda. You second-rate gun-bitch." Revy said cool as stone.

The blonde nun smirked, "Want me to teach you how to smoke through your forehead?"

Sean barely paid them any attention as he picked up the cup of tea set out before him. He wasn't a big tea drinker, but if this deal was going to go down without the walls being painted then he needed to defuse the situation and fast.

Using the past knowledge of a few people he consumed, he was able to figure out the kind of tea he was drinking quickly. "Hmm, W&M. I may not drink a lot of tea, but I have to admit it's very good."

"Ah, you are very knowledgeable, young man." said Yolanda smiling again. "Yes, it indeed is W&M. I love this tea."

"Any self-respecting company with good dedication and history would drink something like this. It shows that they will deliver without fail." said the Evolved setting the cup down and locking his gaze with the nun's. "The same can be said for any company, even if they're products are different from what people would expect of them."

"What are you trying to say, young man?" asked Yolanda giving him her full attention.

The Evolved leaned back in his seat, "There have been a rash of drug sales happening in areas run by Hotel Moscow recently, being distributed outside the agreed trade routes. And so far Miss Balalaika and her soldiers have yet to find the ones behind it. They've checked every possible angle and couldn't find anything."

"And that's because there's a blind spot, some where they would never expect to look. Like, let's say, an organization that can cross any border without issue for their religious activities?" Sean turned his eyes toward Eda and tilted his head, "Eda was it? When we got here, why did you ask those clergymen to put the 'clean sheets' in the shed? Aren't they supposed to go in the living quarters?"

Yolanda hummed, "Young man. You can't make statements based on conjecture. You make it sound like the supposed drugs are coming from this church."

"Just thinking out loud, Sister." replied Sean. "But since Dutch gave us this job I took the liberty of going over a few bits of information on this place to get a feel of it. Imagine my surprise when I found the level of guns and ammo coming in and going out don't add up. Even an inept business man could figure it out with a bit of research. Pretty dangerous for your line of work. Especially since our company is on very good terms with Hotel Moscow, it'd be pretty bad for business if they were to learn of how this place operates without their knowledge."

There was a tense silence that stretched on for several moments. Sister Yolanda rested her chin in her hand. "Are you threatening this church, young man?"

Sean smirked, "Nothing personal, Sister. It's just business and nothing else. I'm sure you understand our position."

The older nun's smile widened a fraction, "Well played. Eda."

"Yes?" asked the blonde lowering her weapon and blowing another gum-bubble.

"This one's sharper than I expected. He passes with flying colors. Add the launcher to the list." said Yolanda as a church bell began ringing near the chapel. "Dutchy-boy has a good eye. It's almost time for mass. I apologize, but you'll have to be on your way."

Eda headed to the door and opened it for them while Revy holstered her Cutlass and headed toward it with Sean ahead of her. "Young man." Sister Yolanda said making him stop, "Feel free to visit us again. You'll always be welcome."

The Evolved nodded before heading out of the building and back toward the GTO. Revy glared at Eda as she passed, "You got lucky, bitch." she said flipping her the middle finger.

"Get the hell outta here." the blonde shot back.

"Rebecca." Revy turned and faced Yolanda. "You could learn a thing or two from that young man. He definitely knows his way around a situation."

Revy growled at her, "Shut up, you old bitch." and slammed the door behind her as she exited.

X

After the long day that was had, Sean had thought it best to pull off at one of the many outside restaurants when they got back to the city for something to eat. Revy had gone back to giving him the silent treatment again which he chose to ignore as they picked out a table in the semi-busy establishment. The Evolved returning to said table minutes later with bowls of noodles for them.

"Better eat up, neither of us have had anything all day." he said picking up a pair of chopsticks and going at the bowl in front of him.

"No hungry." the gunslinger said staring at something off to the side that only she could see. Sean shrugged as he continued eating. "Why don't you just give me the keys, I'll drive back myself." she added a second later.

"Trying to get rid of me?" he asked after swallowing a mouthful of noodles.

"I don't wanna be here, and you can obviously get back on your own. So what's the point?" she asked still not looking at him.

Sean looked up at her with calm eyes, "I think you know." he said setting his now empty bowl and chopsticks aside. "We've been at each other's throats silently since that last job. If you got something you want to say to me, Revy, then just come out with it. No more of this bullshit."

Revy clenched her fist, but didn't give any other signs. "I think inviting you on was a mistake." she admitted.

"That was your choice. And so far the only person that has a problem with it now is you." said the Evolved leaning back in his seat with his arms crossed. "And from the way things have gone today, I think you need more help with certain things than you're willing to admit. I may know my way around a combat situation, but you can't solve every issue with brute strength alone. Sometimes you gotta be a bit more subtle."

"You better watch what you say, petri-dish." she said with contempt.

"You've been acting this way ever since we had that argument on the U-boat. I'm not saying that I've been any better." added Sean.

"Who cares? I told you never to talk about that again." Revy said wanting this conversation to end, but the Evolved wasn't having none of it. Dutch was right, it was time to end this.

Leaning on the table, Sean kept his expression that of stone. "I'm not apologizing for what I said." Revy's eyes snapped open wide and she turned to him slowly.

"I think I misheard you." she said quietly and with a sharp point in her tone. "I thought I just heard you fucking with me."

"Then let me spell it out for you, _Rebecca_." The Evolved said matching her tone. "I'm. Not. Saying. Sorry. We're both guilty of saying shit to each other, but I have no regrets for some of the things I said."

Revy slowly stood up, her eyes going dead as she drew one of her Cutlass', "That's a shame. You just stepped on a non-negotiable, non-defusing, big ass landmine." she aimed the weapon between his eyes with her finger tight on the trigger.

Sean looked right back at her without blinking while the whole restaurant went into a panic and fled. "Really?" he said uninterested. "Once again your going to resort to sticking a gun in my face even though you know damn well that it won't have any affect?"

_Bang!_

The gunshot went off without warning, but the result wasn't what Revy had been expecting. She stood wide eyed with her teeth gritted as her right wrist was held in a vice grip, her Cutlass aimed at the sky as the empty shell casing clattered to the ground nearby.

"And where did that get you?" Sean asked, pulling her weapon from her hand and dropping it on to the table top. "No one was able to completely solve their issues by waving guns around. And that includes you."

"Bastard!" Revy shouted pulling her hand from his grip and swinging her fist at him, only for said fist to be caught in his open palm.

"I'd watch it _bitch_!" the Evolved shouted back, gripping her fist and grabbing a fist-full of her shirt and pulling her in so they were face to face. "I've kept my mouth shut all this time to avoid getting into another fucking argument with you. But now I've had it! I've been through too much shit in such a short time to deal with some female Rambo-wannabe who can't get over herself!"

"You impudent freak!" Revy growled, "You're-"

"My _name_ is Sean, motherfucking, Mason! Not freak! Not petri-dish! And not the array of other bullshit fucking names you've said to me in the last few weeks!" Sean roared. "And you wanna talk about 'impudent'? Take a long fucking look at yourself, Revy! You're supposed to be some badass outlaw and pirate, yet the only thing I fucking see is a greedy bitch who only cares about money and shooting! Scavenging off of corpses like a corrupt ditch-digger, I expected something better from someone like you. That you had a shred of pride left in that head of yours. Guess I was wrong."

Revy pulled out of his grip, "You don't get it you fucking piece of shit!" she shouted. Grabbing the cup filled with chopsticks and smashing it off the ground. "What do you know about me?! What the hell do you know?! Tell me! How can a guy like you with all that power and fucking strength understand anything that I've been through!"

They glared at each other, Sean's never wavering as he breathed out. "You're right. I don't know anything about you, I'm not you. But incase you forgot, I know what it's like to suffer." his arms rippled for emphasis. "Now it's my turn to ask you. What the fuck do you know about me? What I had to endure? What was taken from me? Looking at you, you couldn't fucking care less. And when you don't get the answers you want, you act like a damn basket case. Like a coward!"

"SHUT UP!" the gunslinger screamed kicking the table aside. Sending leftover food and her discarded weapon to the ground. "You're the one looking at this conveniently! At least you had _something_ to lose! This isn't some cheap Hollywood movie! What fucking pride?! Look around you! It's a pile of shit in every direction! Robin Hood don't fucking exist anywhere asshole!"

"Then become something more!" Sean fired back. "Stop with this fucking useless pity party you keep reverting to! Whatever the hell you went through in the past won't change, but do something about the here and now for christ-sake!"

Revy took a step back, "Shut up, just shut up! I'm serious! I'll find some way to fucking kill you!"

"Then go right the fuck ahead." the Evolved said lowly. "You'd be doing what I tried to do so many times before. And even if you somehow manage to succeed, you'll just keep running in circles following the same fucked up behavior afterward. In the end, you'd still be proving me right."

"IT'S ALL I KNOW HOW TO DO!" the gunslinger screamed as she cocked her fist back and punched him as hard as she could. The sound of flesh meeting flesh ringing out in the now silent restaurant.

Sean stood motionless, his head forced to the side with Revy's fist driven into the left side of his face. But his expression remained the same, not even feeling the hit as he looked back into her now wavering eyes, her wall of armor shaking a bit as they stood there.

"Did you forget the reason why I came this far, Revy?" he asked with a hollow tone. "Did you forget what I am? What had been done to me?" his hand coming up and removing her fist from his face, while tightening his grip on it slowly. "Do you think I wanted to be this way? A virally enhanced monster wearing the skin of a human being? To have the life I once had torn from me and burned to ashes like it was nothing?"

"Let me tell you something, Revy. When I was being experimented on by Gentek, I learned the cruelty of what some will unleash on others for the sake of their own ambitions. They and Blackwatch were nothing more than common day Nazis, killing anyone they wanted, man, woman or child, none of it mattered to them. And when I realized this, I let my rage take me. Nothing stood in my path as I carved a path of destruction through New York, instilling fear in those that thought they could control and destroy me."

"But when it was all over...I realized that everything I ever cherished was gone forever. And no matter how badly I wanted to burn with the rest of the virus, death was out of my grasp. And I was all alone in the world, my vengeance against Mercer, Blackwatch and Gentek the only thing I had left...save for my memories."

Sean released her hand and reached into his shirt, producing the pendant he always wore. A silver oval the size of his thumb with a gold cross etched into it. He clicked the side opening the pendant revealing a picture set within it. The image of a smiling Sean standing beside a little girl with brown hair and green eyes who was also smiling.

"My sister, Jenny. We were living together in Manhattan when Blacklight was unleashed." the Evolved said before closing the locket and clenching his fist around it. "The same virus that destroyed the city, that turned me into this, took her from me. Do you know what that's like? To look at yourself and realize that not only did you fail to protect someone that needed you, but you also bare the same curse that took them away?"

Revy said nothing while he looked up at her, his eyes flashing red briefly, stashing the necklace back in its place as he continued. "I realize now, that I'm guilty of making my own assumptions of you back on the sub. You didn't choose this life because you wanted to, you did it for survival. Just like I had to when I escaped New York. But the past doesn't have to control you, Revy. You may not have had a choice before, but you have them now. The choices of what you really want to do with your life, instead of just squandering it."

"I lost my reason to fight once before, I don't intend on letting it happen again. And that means making sure that someone who, for the first time in a while, looked at me as another fucked up human being instead of a monster fall into the same category as those that destroyed my old life."

The gunslinger took another step back and held her head in her hands. Taking several deep breaths before speaking. "What the fuck do you want from me?" she asked quietly. "What is the point of this? What are you trying to get out of it?"

Sean gave a ghost of a smile, "Something the both of us are looking for. Someone who understands, who will watch our backs when the chips are down and are there at the end of the day to bitch at when shit gets too much while we take down all the alcohol we can find."

Revy sighed deeply as she put her hands on her hips, "Fucking-A. You're a real pain in the ass, you know that?" she said poking him in the chest.

"You're one to talk there, _Becky_." the Evolved said back with a smirk.

"Don't fucking call me that, petri-dish! Or I'll shove a whole clip of bullets up your ass at muzzle velocity!" the gunslinger shouted while preparing to draw her other Cutlass.

"Freeze!"

"Mind you're own fucking business!" both of them shouted before they noticed an entire squad of police officers surrounding them with guns drawn. Through the crowd, a lone officer which must have been the one in charge stepped to the front with a nightstick over his shoulder.

"Well, well, well. I hear someone's making a ruckus in the market and it turns out to be you again." said Chief Watsup as he looked toward Revy. "Jesus, Revy. I've told you before, this isn't your private shooting gallery. Going off like that without concern for who's watching, try putting yourself in my shoes when I have to put out the damn fire."

The gunslinger scoffed, "Isn't this why we give you those fat envelopes?"

"I'm not saying don't do it," said Watsup. "Just do it where no one's gonna see you. I don't care if you go kill someone or play hide-the-apple. As long as there's no trouble, I don't have to cancel my golf plans and I can work on my short game in peace." he sighed, "Anyway, I'm bringing you both in. We've got paperwork to take care of on our end."

Sean shrugged while Revy waved him off. The two of them getting into the back of one of the cruisers after she gathered up her dropped weapon before they started away.

X

At the docks, Benny sat on the edge of the Lagoon with beer in hand watching the sunset just as Dutch came up with a grease covered rag in his hand. "Damn engine's still giving me trouble." he muttered.

"Here, have a cold one." the blonde said tossing him a can from the nearby cooler.

"Thanks." replied the Captain, cracking open the can and downing almost all of it in one go.

Benny went back to looking at the horizon, "You think those two worked out their issues? They've been gone all day."

"One can hope, Benny-boy." replied Dutch. "Those two, it's like an unstoppable force meets an immovable object. Almost poetic, if it wasn't so volatile. Though if they can find some common ground, they'd be one hell of a team."

"Glad they're on our side then." said the computer tech.

"You and me both."

X

In the back of the cruiser heading toward the police station, Sean leaned back in the seat after having the officer in the front light a cigarette for him. He and Revy deciding to come back and pick up the car later when they were released.

"Hey, Sean." Revy said making him look her way as she dug out a fresh smoke from her pack. "Just one thing. Let me ask this and there will be no more trouble."

He nodded when he heard the seriousness in her voice. "Which side do you wanna be on?"

The Evolved breathed out a cloud of smoke, "I don't go anywhere I don't wanna be, Revy. Right where I am now, is just fine."

She leaned back in her own seat, satisfied by the answer with the cig between her lips. "Sean. Give me a light, would ya?" He looked her way again and nodded as he leaned closer, allowing her to touch the tip of her smoke to his as he breathed in. The burning end of his helping ignite hers as she took a long drag on it.

"What a fucked up day." she said breathing out the smoke.

Sean smiled as he looked out the window, "I don't know, seemed pretty productive to me." He missed the slight curling of her lips as she looked out her own window. The sun dipping low in the distance as they headed into the city.

**A/N: And the two have reached not only a truce, but a bit of common ground as well. I know this chapter was mostly canon, but I really couldn't picture it any other way especially the impact it has on Revy and her character. The next chapter I'm hoping to add will be original like the one from a few installments ago, with how things have gone I believed it was time to add another, just to give you guys a heads up.**

**Review, and I'll have the new one ready for ya!**


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